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{gallery}http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157627736814701/{/gallery} The UWI Faculty of Science and Agriculture and Faculty of Medical Sciences celebrated World Sight Day over two days, October 5th and 6th 2011, with three separate events which surrounded the theme, “Seeing through Learning, Learning through Seeing”. The events included a World Sight Day Prevention of Blindness Workshop, a World Sight Day Prevention Student Exposition and a World Sight Day Prevention Public Lecture.

The event was a collaborative effort between the NGOs working in blindness prevention and The UWI. The key speaker at the event was The Honourable Dr. Fuad Khan, Minister of Health.Specially invited guests included Dr. Juan Carlos Silva, Regional Eye Care Director for PAHO; Dr. Van Lansingh, Regional Director for Vision 2010, PAHO; and Mr. Max Bruss, Vice President of Operations, VOSH SE (Volunteer Optometry Services to humanity, South East).

The Student Exposition and Public Lecture both took place on October 6th and was open to the public. . The speakers at these events were Dr. Juan Carlos Silva, Regional Eye Care Director for PAHO; Dr. Van Lansingh, Regional Director for Vision 2010; PAHO and Mr. Max Bruss, Vice President of Operations, VOSH SE.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ophthalmology and Optometry Associations also attended. Attendees at the exposition had the opportunity to do vision screenings at the event.

Jazz for a Cause
An evening of Jazz featuring Barbadian saxophonist, Arturo Tappin, and Jamaica’s guitarist and composer, Ernest Ranglin, OD, was held at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland on Friday, September 23.

{gallery}http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157627709383703/{/gallery} The University of the West Indies (UWI) made a giant leap toward open access of UWI’s extensive information resources when it launched their new single virtual university library space on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

The new UWI Libraries’ Information Connexion (UWIlinC) knowledge portal provides instantaneous access to a range of library material including digitized print, audio, video and images from all the libraries across all four UWI campuses via a single web space. For UWI staff and students, UWIlinC consolidates disparate collections into one system and allows for unrestricted access to the vast store of local and remote information resources held within The UWI network of campus libraries. For external parties, the new UWIlinC portal opens a window to UWI’s extensive range of unique Caribbean and scholarly resources, some of which will be available upon request.

In commenting on this landmark project which was five years in the making, University and Campus Librarian, Ms. Jennifer Joseph, underscored that “the creation of this new virtual library platform reaffirms UWI’s commitment to being a University that is deeply rooted in the Caribbean and an internationally recognised centre of excellence on matters related to our Caribbean region.” She emphasised that UWIlinC is a direct response to the University Libraries’ need, in the face of a rapidly expanding universe of online information, to provide new tools to help people find information in a manner that incorporates both immediacy and relevance. “The continuing revolution in information, computer and telecommunication technologies and the challenge of delivering service across geographically dispersed locations provided the impetus for the this initiative, which serves not just The UWI community, but our regional and international communities as well.”

{gallery}http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157627818670994/{/gallery} The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, collaborated with Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited, and hosted the UWI/Guardian Life Premium Open Lecture 2011, on Friday 30th September, 2011, at 5.30 pm, at the Daaga Auditorium, UWI.

This event is organized through a joint working committee of the Instructional Development Unit (IDU) at The UWI, Guardian Life of the Caribbean and Guardian Holdings Limited. The cooperation, which has been running since 1998, has sought to highlight, promote and support teaching excellence by university lecturers, while at the same time promotes outreach to the general population with respect to education.

Following the underlying theme “the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning,” these Open Lectures feature renowned researchers whose work reflect this paradigm.

This year’s lecture was delivered by Dr. Maryellen Weimer, Professor Emerita of Teaching and Learning at Penn State University, USA, and winner of the Milton S. Eisenhower award for distinguished teaching. Dr. Weimer discussed the topic Maximum Impact: Using Feedback to Drive Assessment, in which she examined the idea of assessment and in particular the aspect of assessment that deals with student development through feedback mechanisms.

The lecture targeted the teaching fraternity with special invitations to teachers and teaching administrators of tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools.

{gallery}http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157627663137205/{/gallery} The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) hosted a forum on the topic The State of Emergency: a Necessary Evil?, on Wednesday September 28th, 2011, at 10 am, at Lecture Room 1, Institute of International Relations.

Panelists included Senator Terrence Deyalsingh, Opposition Senator, the Honourable Surujrattan Rambachan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communication, Ms Merle Hodge former Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, UWI member of Women Working for Sopcial Progress, as well as Professor Patrick Watson, Director of SALISES, The UWI, St. Augustine.

The session was chaired by Dr Dennis Brown, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, at The UWI,
St. Augustine Campus. All were invited to attend and participated in the discussions that followed the presentation of the panelists.

{gallery}http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157627598492663/{/gallery} The Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) of The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, launched its signature UWI SPEC International Half-Marathon on Tuesday 20th September, 2011. Professor Clement Sankat, Principal of The UWI St. Augustine Campus, hosted the official media launch at the Office of the Campus Principal. First Citizens was the presenting sponsor of the UWI SPEC International Half-Marathon 2011.

The launch featured a welcome address by Ms. Lystra Francis, Director of the UWI SPEC (Ag.) and Race Director, and remarks by the Honourable Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport. It also included the presentation of the sponsorship cheque by Mr. Warren Sookdar, Chief Information Officer (Information and Communication Technology) at First Citizens, to Professor Sankat.

GraceKennedy CEO Partners with AFUWI in Adopt-A-Student Programme

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UWI Student doctors fear dropout
Samantha Smith will be the first homegrown medical doctor in Madras, St Ann, and Andrea Salmon hopes to rewrite history in the inner-city community of Rockfort if she finds money to buy books, lab tools and diabetic medication.
The two, straight-A students, enrolled in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona, are among the country’s poorest who now have access to bettering their lives, but experience incomparable suffering trying to make ends meet.