UWI partners with SUNY, Buffalo for research and program implementation | News

BUFFALO, New York:

The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help achieve the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to facilitate programs aimed at fostering and developing cooperative relationships. between the two universities.

At a ceremony in Buffalo, New York, on Monday, UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and SUNY University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi agreed to focus on research and implementation of programs focused on solutions, as well as development issues of concern. and relevance to the Caribbean and New York State.

This includes areas that have been identified in previous UWI-SUNY analyses, such as climate change, renewable energy, public health, education and marine resource management.

The fields are expected to expand to include research relating to democratic participation, leadership and governance, and focus on solutions to specific problems hindering the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The MoU, which connects the University at Buffalo (UB) to the five UWI campuses in the Caribbean University System, will foster collaborations between faculty and students, encourage more research and study opportunities at abroad and create a new shared graduate program.

“Research will be undertaken by joint UWI-SUNY expert teams pursuing a multidisciplinary approach and drawing on external expertise where appropriate,” the MOU states.

SUNY President Tripathi said the agreement would facilitate strong ties between the two universities’ faculties and “our research and academic programs.”

“With this Memorandum of Understanding between UB and UWI, we formalize our commitment to building on our shared strengths, harnessing our disciplinary expertise and fostering collaborations for the common good,” said Tripathi. “As we work together to drive sustainability and resilience globally, our efforts will be even more impactful through our shared contributions. »

The UWI vice-chancellor said this is the time for universities to stand up and show their responsibilities in the areas of sustainable development and public health, “because these goals can only be achieved if universities rely on the infrastructure of activism. We can only achieve this through partnerships and collaboration among different universities,” Beckles said.

A SOLID RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, welcomed the partnership, announcing that she would co-chair a new working group through the Jamaican Embassy that will include representatives from the US government, the National Association of Jamaican and Supporting Organizations, University. of the West Indies, key trading partners and other members of the community.

The working group will serve to engage all key stakeholders to ensure that the necessary political and financial support is in place to sustain and strengthen the partnership through the SUNY-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainability.

During the two-day visit, Ambassador Marks and the UWI delegation toured UB campus facilities and met with the Jamaican community in Buffalo. The delegation also visited Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, whose father is from St. Ann. The city of Buffalo was twinned with St Ann’s Bay.

The MOU follows a previous partnership formed between the UWI and the State University of New York in 2013. One of the main goals was to create a SUNY-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainability (CLSD) that would attract future global leaders and catalyze transformative research. SUNY and UWI campus collaborations relevant to democratic participation, leadership and governance.

The goal was to find solutions to specific problems that prevent each country from achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, explained Gene Morse, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, who is also assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine. Science, UWI, Mona campus.

Additionally, he noted, CLSD is the strategic hub that will mobilize SUNY, UWI and other visiting faculty to provide mentorship to master’s candidates enrolled in the UWI International School for development justice, thereby creating a solid research base to guide sustainable development projects around the globe.