Research vs. the world’s biggest problems: UWI graduate school marks 30 years with live forum

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica, W.I. Friday, November 13, 2026—Climate change, widening inequality, food and water insecurity, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence don’t stop at borders, and no single country, institution or discipline can solve them alone.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2026, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) School for Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) will bring research leaders from the Caribbean and the United States together for the Vice-Chancellor’s Forum, under the theme Solving Global Challenges Through Research and Innovation. The forum is a highlight of the School’s 30th anniversary celebrations (1996–2026).

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles will deliver opening remarks. Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research, will moderate an international panel of six research leaders. Professor Miriam Petty, Associate Dean, Academic Programmes, Northwestern University, brings a United States perspective. She will be joined by the heads of graduate studies and research from across The UWI:

• Professor Dwayne Devonish, Director, Graduate Studies and Research, Cave Hill Campus
• Professor Peter Adams, Director, Graduate Studies and Research, Five Islands Campus
• Professor Marcia Roye, Director, Graduate Studies and Research, Mona Campus
• Professor Duraisamy Saravanakumar, Director, Graduate Studies and Research, St. Augustine Campus
• Dr. Nicole Phillip, Director (Ag.), Graduate Studies and Research, Global Campus

The panel will look at what it takes for universities everywhere to produce research that makes a real difference. Discussion will focus on interdisciplinary inquiry that tackles complex problems such as climate resilience, sustainability and social development, and on graduate programmes that prepare researchers and professionals for a fast-changing global job market. Panellists will also discuss digital platforms that widen access to postgraduate study, the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence in teaching and research, and deeper partnerships between universities, industry, governments and communities that turn new knowledge into policy and practical solutions.

“The challenges facing our world are shared, and so must be the search for solutions,” said Professor Henry-Lee. “Research has a unique role to play, and the next phase of that work must be bold, inclusive, innovative and development-focused. This forum brings together diverse perspectives to ask how research and innovation can serve both the Caribbean and the wider world, and to chart a bold course for the decade ahead.”

The forum is one of several events to commemorate three decades of the SGSR. The School was established in August 1996 to meet the region’s need for advanced education, and its mandate is to advance learning, create knowledge and foster innovation for the Caribbean and the wider world. Over 30 years, it has trained generations of scholars and professionals across The UWI’s campuses and helped shape the University’s research response to regional and global priorities.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Forum is open to the public and will be broadcasted live across the region and around the world from 4:00 p.m. (Jamaica/EST) | 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Caribbean/AST). Interested persons can tune in to UWItv Global Interested persons can watch online at www.uwitv.global, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uwitv, or on YouTube at @UWITVGlobal.