KINGSTON, Jamaica — Principal and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Professor Archibald McDonald has underscored the need to place greater emphasis on regional research and the role that investors play in the process. 

“Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region are plagued by a multitude of issues that have affected their ability to thrive in the global community. The prevalence of health problems indigenous to the region, increased unemployment, low productivity caused by outdated technology and a weak economy underscored by lagging innovation, are all concerns that require our immediate and collective attention,” said Prof McDonald. “In order to effectively address these concerns the University has embarked on a period of reformation in its research enterprise to put more emphasis on projects which will positively impact regional development,” he added. 

Prof McDonald was speaking at the recent launch of the UWI Mona Research Days 2014.

The Exposition is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19 to Friday, February 21 at the Mona campus under the theme ‘Fostering Growth and Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through Research’.

According to UWI the university will provide investors with the opportunity, over the three days, to “explore the business potential of cutting edge research projects underway at the institution when it hosts Research Days 2014. 

Integral to the development of the SIDS are studies from the UWI, which have been used extensively by public and private sector enterprises, including the Planning Institute of Jamaica and leading conglomerate GraceKennedy Limited, UWI said in a release.

While the research and development spend in the Caribbean is relatively far less than developed nations such as the US and Japan who spend close to three per cent of GDP on research alone, there is no denying the impact past and ongoing research have had on the region’s development, the UWI release added.