UWI research may bring income

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus is seeking to use research as a way to generate income.Acting principal Professor Eudine Barriteau said, “Faculty members are hard at work conceptualising and making operational several initiatives in this regard.”Speaking recently during a breakfast presentation hosted by UWI in collaboration with FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB) at The Mount Restaurant, Cave Hill, she said: “As the UWI accelerates its pursuit of becoming a world-renowned, research-oriented enterprise, there ought to arise, increasingly, opportunities for the university to benefit from the commercialisation of its research as a means of generating income.“This would facilitate our commitment to becoming more self-sufficient and reducing our dependence on regional governments,” Barriteau said.The deputy principal noted that research findings that can change economic behaviour and contribute to economic growth enable the University to evaluate its contribution to national and regional development. “The relevance of key aspects of our research agenda has enabled the university to transcend regional boundaries and earn international acclaim for UWI scholars. “This occurred when UWI researchers wrote case studies on the merger of the two indigenous banks from which FCIB evolved. These studies are now part of the curriculum of international universities. Their inclusion underscores our ability at UWI to make our mark internationally,” she said. (NB)