Educaation

Jervon Sands Is 2024 Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholar

Secretary of the Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, Bertha Pilgrim, made the announcement at State House, on Tuesday evening.

Mr. Sands will study for the Master of Sciences (MSc) in Environmental Change and Management, and MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, in October 2024.

After the announcement, the Rhodes Scholar stated: “This is an unimaginable, exciting opportunity and I am very grateful…. I am very excited about the work I will be doing, and am looking forward… to working in the region…when I return from my studies….”

He said at the end of his studies he will return to the Bahamas to work within Government and in other institutions throughout the Caribbean to help promote education on these issues.

When asked about his choice of study, Mr. Sands stated: “The climate crisis is one of the most pressing problems, …and I want to be a part of making solutions to inform the Caribbean and safeguard Caribbean countries.”

He has a First Class Honours degree in Applied Physics from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.

President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, who chaired the Selection Committee, described the 10 finalists as “a very wonderful group of young people”.

Dame Sandra continued: “Every year we, as the Rhodes Scholarship Committee, are handed a platter of very excellent young people; very brilliant, and to my mind this augurs extremely well for the future of the Caribbean.”

Four of the interviewed candidates were from Trinidad and Tobago, three were from Guyana, and one each from Antigua, the Bahamas and Barbados.

The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903.

The Rhodes selection process aims to choose young people with proven academic excellence who show exceptional character, leadership, the energy to use their talents to the full, and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges. (PR/GIS)

Caption: President of Barbados, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, congratulates the 2024 Rhodes Scholar for the Commonwealth Caribbean. 21-year-old Jervon Sands of The Bahamas, at State House yesterday. Looking on is Secretary of the Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, Bertha Pilgrim.

Educaation

The UWI Cave Hill & UNCTAD Sign Partnership MOU

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, and the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further trade-related research and cooperation.

The MOU was signed by Principal of The UWI Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis, and UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary General, Pedro Manuel Moreno, on Tuesday, June 18.

It was witnessed by Barbados’ Ambassador to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other International Organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, who also serves on the Board of the Shridath Ramphal Centre; Director of the Centre, Dr. Jan Yves Remy, and The UWI’s Cave Hill Dean of Social Sciences, Professor Troy Lorde.

The partnership is a direct outcome of the recent Global Supply Chain Forum held in Barbados in May and builds on almost 20 years of collaboration between The UWI and UNCTAD, specifically concerning annual visits to Geneva by students.

A focus of the partnership going forward will be on joint research, especially in the area of the blue and green economy, building on the Villars Framework, and supporting trade-related data and analysis.

Principal Landis praised the collaboration and said it was an input into the ongoing work on ‘remaking trade’, led by Dr. Remy and other academics under the Villars Framework.

UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary General Moreno pointed out that the MOU represents a continuation of the long collaboration between UN Trade and Development and the Caribbean.

Ambassador Wilson, who has been involved in the Centre’s MITP Programme for almost two decades, stated: “The policy support and analysis that can result from this partnership will be incredibly useful for the small Caribbean missions in Geneva, which often have to cover a multitude of issues and need quick policy contributions.”

Students of the Shridath Ramphal Centre’s MITP Programme have been in Geneva for two weeks as part of the Joint University Study Tour, where students visit international organisations, CARICOM embassies and missions, as well as private sector entities, to get a first-hand view of how trade practitioners, from a variety of fields and institutions, undertake their tasks and put trade policy in action.

The Barbados Mission in Geneva is hosting four interns from The UWI and the University of Newcastle, who will be shadowing the Barbados team, at meetings of the Human Rights Council and the WTO Trade Policy Review of Canada, where Ambassador Wilson is serving as the discussant. (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Principal of The UWI Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis (sitting left); UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary General, Pedro Manuel Moreno (sitting right); and officials pose with the signed MOU which will further trade-related research and cooperation.

Educaation

National Council on Substance Abuse To Host Cannabis Panel Discussion

The National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) will be hosting a panel discussion on the topic “The Grassroots of Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis.” This insightful event is scheduled for May 30, 2024 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Chesterfield Brewster Empowerment Center, Silver Hill, Christ Church.

The panel discussion aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of cannabis from various perspectives, including medicinal, recreational, and sacramental use of cannabis. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the following panellists who are experts in their respective fields:

Mr. Joel Barrow – Nursing Officer, Psychiatric Hospital – Mr. Barrow will discuss the biopsychosocial effects of cannabis on the mind and body of the user.

Dr. Adrian Waterman, Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners – Dr. Waterman will discuss the qualifying conditions for medicinal cannabis use and address common concerns of patients regarding their treatment with medicinal cannabis.

Mr. Corey Beckles, Senior Attorney-at-Law, CBL Chambers – Mr. Beckles will discuss the legal aspects surrounding the sacramental use of cannabis.

Representative from the Barbados Police Service – the new amendment to the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act CAP 131.

The NCSA is committed to fostering informed discussions on health risks associated with using legal or illegal substances and its implications for society. This event promises to be an enlightening experience for all members of the public. For further information please, contact the NCSA at 535-6272.

Educaation

BARBADOS VOCATIONAL TRAINING BOARD

Programmes for January & February 2024 with two new courses, Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Massage Therapy for Beginners. Register today!