B'dos minister wants regional institutions to churn out problem-solvers

• October 31 2018
• http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/b-dos-minister-wants-regional-institutions-to-churn-out-problem-solvers_148326

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – A senior Barbados Government minister has told regional institutions that they must not only be concerned with producing graduates for the workforce but those who are driven to seek practical solutions to the Caribbean's problems.

Energy and Water Resources Minister Wilfred Abrahams told delegates at the sixth International Conference on Higher Education said that education was a viable solution to the many problems currently confronting his own country.

The four-day international conference is aimed at showcasing the emerging local, regional and international research that can enhance policy and practice at all levels in education.

Abrahams, who met with the delegates Monday, said that while Barbados was the leader in the use of solar energy years ago, it was time that students honed their studies in areas such as making efficient use of solar, wind and oceanic resources.

He said that such research efforts could assist in helping Barbados reach its goal of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

“It makes no sense for The UWI (University of the West Indies) and institutions of higher learning to churn out graduates when these graduates can't contribute… help us to advance our social programmes and our developmental gains,” he told the conference that is being held under the theme “Modern Education and Economic Stimulation: Innovation, Praxis and Sustainability”.

Abrahams told the delegates that they should seek to utilise the educational institutions to move quickly to develop a culture of practical research that would lead to the creation of individuals who would, among other things, investigate green energy alternatives and alternative medicines from local plants.