Education

MOU SIGNED BETWEEN A & B MUSIC SUPPLIES AND THE UWI

Veteran music industry leader Norman Barrow believes that creativity, not competition, should be encouraged on the local music scene in order for the Barbadian brand to better penetrate overseas markets.
Barrow shared these views during a recent signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between his company, A&B Music Supplies, and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, said that sticking to the “traditional” ways of making and marketing music will not help local artists reach a global audience.
He said: “I am hoping that the opportunities provided for aspiring creatives will produce a different way of thinking, which will encourage them to realise that competing for a prize is not the way for us to get our music into the mainstream of international recognition.
“We must work together to make sure our music has global appeal. Machel Montano recently said: ‘We must improve the quality of our music, our writing, our marketing, and the quality of our message.'”
He explained, “I have always held the view that one of the main reasons that reggae music was able to become a recognised genre in the world of music, is because the Jamaican artistes never competed, and their writings were never guided by a set of rules. They were free to produce music that appealed to the world.”
He emphasized the need for a shift in focus, stating that while he respects past efforts, it is time to create music that can be marketed globally, which he described as essential for Barbados’ future.
The MOU establishes a partnership aimed at supporting students in the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts by providing scholarships and other resources. It also includes the establishment of the Norman Barrow Digital Archives; this new archive is aimed at storing music Barrow has produced over the years across the region, and giving easy access to students who are seeking to further their research into varying genres.

Education

Barbados Cops Two Silver Medals At Caribbean STEM Olympiads

Barbados won two silver medals in the Math Olympiad component of the Caribbean Science Foundation’s (CSF) third annual Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO) held virtually from January 13 to 19, 2025.

Individuals and teams representing educational institutions or themselves competed in Math, Computer Coding, and Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiads at three different age levels – 12 to 15, 16 to 18, and 19 to 21.

Fifteen-year-old Roshauna Clarke of Harrison College took second place in Level I of the Math Olympiad, while Simeon Green and Ian Francis of “Phi-re Phi-ghters”, who represented themselves but attend The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, placed second in Level III of the competition.

Interim Executive Director of the CSF, Professor Cardinal Warde, said: “I am impressed by the level of achievement of the participants. However, it is clear that the CSF needs to do more to enhance the quantity and quality of robotics and embedded systems in the region.

“To aid those Robotics & Electronics Systems teams that start early in preparation for the 2026 Olympiads, the CSF will issue a call for proposals to assist such teams in covering the upfront costs of components.”

Simeon Green of “Phi-re Phi-ghters” spoke about his experience. He said: “We really enjoyed preparing by doing a lot of practice, and even during the competition. Just the rigour of the Math we had to do was really interesting. You should have seen our faces when [we] got the question done. We really enjoyed participating.”

In the various competitions, the focus was on rewarding inventiveness, as well as critical, logical, and analytical thinking. In particular, the Math Olympiad was held in a Jeopardy-style format and covered the fundamentals of topics ranging from consumer Arithmetic to Vector Calculus.

The Computer Coding Olympiad tasked applicants with creating apps, games, and websites aimed at solving a challenge faced by Caribbean communities.

The challenges tackled by teams in the 2025 Olympiads included geohazards and climate change, cultural preservation, conservation science and ecology, inter and intra-country transportation, food safety and security, safe after-hours transport for women and youth, and financial education.

The Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad saw the Level I applicants building innovative systems from kits, while the Level III robotics and electronics systems teams were required to design and assemble their robots starting from the basic components level.

A total of 264 students from nine Caribbean countries registered for the 2025 Olympiads, making it the highest registration to date. After the preliminary rounds, 41 teams (98 students) made it to the finals. There were 34 finalists in the Math Olympiad, 39 in the Computer Coding Olympiad, and 25 in the Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad.

Medal certificates and cash prizes of US$500, $400, $300, and $200 were awarded to teams winning platinum, gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. The medals and awards ceremony, held on Sunday, January 19, revealed that Jamaica led the medal count with 10 medals, followed by Belize and Guyana with four each, and Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago with two each.

The CSF is a regional, non-profit non-governmental organisation with the mission of assisting with the development and diversification of the economies of the Caribbean region by promoting STEM education reform and stimulating technology-based entrepreneurship. (PR/GIS)

Education

SIR HILARY BECKLES APPOINTED CHAIRMAN/CHANCELLOR

The United Nations University has appointed Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as its new Chairman/Chancellor, effective May 2025.

Sir Hilary is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

He was unanimously appointed during a sitting of its Governance Council on December 7, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.

Education

Culinary Arts Student ‘Cooks Up’ A Scholarship

A first-year Culinary Arts student at the Jean and Norma Holder Hospitality Institute (JNHHI) is the latest recipient of the Peter Barker Memorial Scholarship.

The $2,500 scholarship is given annually to students in the General Catering Certificate or Associate Degree in Culinary Arts programmes.

This year, 31-year-old Natasha Wilkinson was selected for the award. Natasha was inspired to pursue culinary arts after helping a man with health issues by cooking for him, which sparked her passion for the profession.

“This scholarship would help me. I would more than likely take the money and invest it into some kind of venture so it can give me a return as I continue to study rather than just spend it up,” Natasha said.

The scholarship was created by Dr. Nigel Barker, in memory of his late brother, Peter Barker, who passed away in 1995 while a student at the JNHHI.

Explaining the rationale behind its existence, Dr. Barker said he asked himself a few questions. He said: “I thought, how do I bring some value, he was 28 years old, to a life that was ended very short and I then decided I would add value to other people’s lives through his memory, so that’s how it came about.”

Acting Director at JNHHI, Lynette Francis-Thornhill, explained that the scholarship is based on financial need and a strong commitment to Culinary Arts.

She noted the number of applicants this year was lower than expected, with only two students vying for the award. Ms. Francis-Thornhill explained that students often hesitate to apply for scholarships due to concerns about financial disclosures and the potential requirement to repay funds if they do not complete their programme.

She emphasised, however, that scholarships like this one are crucial for supporting students, especially in fields like culinary arts, where additional costs like uniforms and equipment can add up.

“While education in Barbados is free at the point of delivery from nursery to tertiary, there are still costs associated with doing the programme. So, definitely it would be of assistance when they have these opportunities for persons to be able to get through their programmes more comfortably, which then provides a freeness of the mind and enables them to focus more on their studies and worry less about material concerns,” she stated. (PR/GIS)