By Elaine Commissiong
GONE ARE the days when researchers were allowed to remain sacrosanct in their hallowed halls diligently pursuing academic solutions, completely isolated from the concerns of the world at large. The demands of the world have changed, and so too, have the demands on the researcher. Researchers are today expected to be persuasive, inspiring, and most of all relevant, responding to the demands of an ever changing environment.
Accordingly, on October 18, 2001, as the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus celebrated "Research Day," tribute was paid to those researchers, at Mona, who through their work, have made, or have the potential to make tremendous impact on the wider society. It was a celebration of excellence!
Thrust of University research radically altered!
In this global environment of uncertainty and rapid mind-boggling change, states University of the West Indies Mona Campus Principal, Professor Kenneth Hall, the role of University research has been radically altered. He notes that while traditionally, universities and their employees-academics were perceived as "knowledge factories, creating new knowledge, disseminating that knowledge and applying that knowledge," the conditions under which research is conducted have changed.
The researcher and his work is no longer limited to the internal audience for scholars and experts in the field, but his work has to be communicated to the outside world where it is evaluated both by academic peers, but very often by a sceptical public. The challenge, he states, is to show how research contributes to man's well being without jeopardising his future!
Celebrating Excellence!
In recognising its outstanding researchers, the Mona Campus presented awards to Faculties in three main categories: "Distinguished Researcher." "Best Publication," and "Project attracting the most Research Funds." The campus also paid tribute to Faculty members who had this year received Jamaica National Awards.
Hailed as "Distinguished Researchers" for excellence in "Research Output" and in stimulating research activity within the Faculty, were; Professor Alvin Wint and Dr. Dillon Alleyne of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Drs. Hopeton Dunn, Hugues Peters and James Robertson of the Faculty of Arts and Education.
Dr. Dunn's project, "Revisioning Electronic and Community Media towards Education and Development," is a response to the dominance of foreign television programming and of sensational, advertising-driven radio content in the Jamaican electronic media.
Through a combination of research to create an alternative policy framework and by direct assistance with policy-making and institution building, the project aims to create a renewed vision of electronic media in Jamaica and regionally.
Of significance is the practical impact of the research on policy: Dr. Dunn's findings have informed media policy in Jamaica and assisted in the revision of legislation on Broadcasting.
Dr. Robertson's Project, "The Historical Development of Spanish Town," investigates the development of Spanish Town from its foundation in 1534 to the present, with the objective of producing two texts. The first is for general readership, surveying the town's history development, and the second, a study of the first century of British rule in the town.
The potential impact of this research includes strengthening the case for Spanish Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and enhancing it as a destination for Heritage Tourism with all that implies for the town's economic advance.
Professor Elizabeth Thomas Hope, Dr. Balfour Spence and Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences were similarly recognised as "Distinguished Researchers."
Professor Hope's and Dr. Balfour Spence's "Agro-Biodiversity, Land Management and Environment Change in the Caribbean," is a project which has as its goal, the development of sustainable and participatory approaches to conservation.
Professor Kahwa's "The Asbestos Abatement Project," represents a collaborative venture between the UWI and the Joint Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and with business organisations to enhance the occupational health of workers. Through this project, the work of the UWI, Mona campus, has benefited a wide cross section of workers, and lead to the formation of Governmental task forces on asbestos.
"Distinguished Researcher" awards, were also presented in the Faculty of Medical Sciences to the Department of Pathology, for its "Retrovirology - HTLV Project, the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, for "Medicine and Agrochemical properties of Local Plants," and the Department of Microbiology, for "Infectious Diseases."
In the "Best Publication Category," in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Best Publication Awards went to Drs. John Lindo, Alicia Lyn-Sue, Michael G. Lee, Peter Vogel and Ralph Robinson, for their publication, "Seroepidemiology of Heliobacter Pylori Infection in a Jamaican Community." The publication documents for the first time, empirical data secured through a scientific study of some 202 persons in Jamaica's St. Andrew area, that the distribution and transmission of a bacterium, Heliobacter pylori, causes stomach and duodenal ulcers, and also exacerbates previously existing ulcers. According to Dr. Ralph Robinson, the study was done in collaboration with Dr. Carol Palmer of the University of Miami School of Medicine who provided the diagnostic kits used. It identified a particular risk to the bacterium by persons living in low socio-economic communities, in large yards with many households or householders, and where cats (and to a lesser extent dogs,) predominate. The combination of these demographic and zoonotic factors, he said, combined with poor sanitation and animals infected with the bacteria, for which they are natural carriers, predispose infection.
In the same Faculty, Mr. Rafi Ahmad won an Excellence Certificate for his publication, "Urban Steeplands in the Tropics: An Environment of Accelerated Erosion." His study done in collaboration with Dr. Avijit Gupta of the School of Geography of the University of Leeds, U.K, examines the physical environment of the urban tropics and compares the geomorphic, (physical features) and geological setting of two rapidly developing and contrasting urban centres, Singapore and Kingston, to highlight the very important role of engineering geomorphology to urban planning.
In the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Child Health, was a proud recipient of an award for research done on the Kawasaki Syndrome in Jamaica." Excellence certificates were presented to three doctors, Dr. Russell Pierre, Dr. Robert Sue-Ho and Dr. Donna Watson, who all participated in the project. An award was also presented to Professor Owen Morgan for the publication from the Department of Medicine entitled, "Central Nervous System Activation of Indoleamina 2,3 Dioxygenase Pathway IDO in HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP).
In the Department of Pathology, Professor Rainford Wilks, Professor Barry Hanchard, Dr. Gillian Wharfe, and Mrs. Beverley Cranston received certificates for their publication, "Quantitative Proviral DNA and Antibody Levels in the Natural History of HTLV-1 Infection."
Five "Best Publication" awards went to the Faculty of Social Sciences, specifically to Professor Barrington Chevannes, for his publication, "Learning to be a Man"; to Dr. Anthony Harriott, for "Police and Crime Control in Jamaica," to Dr. Damien King and Dr. Sudhanshu Handa, for "Changes in the Distribution of Income and the New Economic Model in Jamaica," and to Dr. Stephen Vascianne, for his publication, "The Fair and Equitable Treatment Standard in International Investment Law and Practice."
Best Publication awards to the Faculty of Arts and Education were received by Dr. Allister Hinds for his publication, "Britain's Sterling Colonial Policy and Deconolisation 1939-1958," to Drs. Brian Moore and Michele Johnson, for "Squalid Kingston: How the Poor Lived and Moved and had their Being," and to Dr. Zellynne Jennings for "Teacher Education in Selected Countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean: The Ideal of Policy, versus the Reality of Practice."
Dr. Jennings' paper explores the extent to which teachers in selected Commonwealth Caribbean countries are being trained to:
i) Use centrally produced curriculum guides in language arts/reading (LAR), English and Foreign Language (FL);
ii) Adopt appropriate methodologies for the teacher as a 'facilitator for learning';
iii) Teach low achievers and underachieving males; and
iv) Use new technologies to aid instruction.
Feedback suggests that the study is assisting the revision of teacher training programmes in the Region.
Projects that have been able to attract outstanding Research Funding were also recognised. Accordingly, awards were presented to Dr. Marjan de Bruin of the Faculty of Arts and Education, in recognition of her work on "Journalism in Haiti;" to the Department of Pathology, of the Faculty of Medical Sciences for its "HTLV-1 Project", and to Dr. Simon Mitchell, of the Faculty of Applied Sciences for his "Sedimentary Basin Resource Assessment Project." Dr. Mitchell's project addresses three main issues:
Evaluating and mitigating significant impacts of sand/gravel quarrying on the environment;
Determining whether present sand supply and sources can meet the growing demand from the construction sector;
Stemming the increasing growth of illegal unregulated sand/gravel quarries along rivers.
Dr. Marjan de Bruin of the Department of CARIMAC's "Journalism in Haiti," project being done in partnership with Info-Services, Haiti has the Government of the Netherlands as its Funding Agency, raising US$297,000, with US$114,000 raised by CARIMAC.
National Awards.
Three Faculty members who had received National Honours were also proudly hailed by the UWI Mona Campus. They included Professor the Hon. Errol York St. Aubyn Morrison, who is the UWI's Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the School for Graduate Studies and Research. Professor Morrison, also a medical doctor, who has done seminal research on Diabetes mellitus as well as on local medicinal plants, was appointed OJ, on August 6th this year for his "distinguished contribution in the fields of Medicine, Biochemistry and the Voluntary Social Services."
Professor Howard Spencer, Professor of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery of the Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia and Intensive care was hailed for his appointment of the Order of Distinction for "outstanding contribution to cardiology."
Professor Neville George Ying, Professor of Business Development, of the Mona School of Business, was yet another Mona Campus recipient of a National Award, receiving the Order of Distinction Commander Class, for "his contribution in the fields of Human Resource Management and Business Development."
Says, Principal Kenneth Hall, "the presentation of these awards, both at the University as well as nationally, serves only to underscore recognition and agreement with the position we hold, that the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake has ceased to be the only responsibility of researchers. The demand and the recognition, is given by the University and the society at large to those projects that can be applied to enhance directly or indirectly the material well-being, happiness and comfort of mankind!"
