UWI Western academics launch first book

EDITED BY scholars Dr Luz Longsworth and Ricardo Anderson, the book, Economic Transformation and Jamaica: Politics, Competitiveness and

Technology Innovations, made its way to its birthplace – the University of the West Indies, Western Jamaica Campus (WJC).

Four years in the making, the book, inspired by the need to increase research output and interest in the western campus, was officially launched to an intimate audience at the Queen’s Drive facility in Montego Bay.

Longsworth, former principal of the institution, and Anderson, a current lecturer there, embarked on the project under the guidance of their mentor, Sir Kenneth Hall, former governor general of Jamaica.

BRAINSTORMING

“It was Sir Kenneth who helped us to see how a weakness of not having fully formed faculties at the WJC could become a strength,” Dr Longsworth told the gathering, adding that in conversations with Hall and Anderson, they brainstormed and arrived at the conclusion that a campus-wide multidisciplinary research agenda would be the best approach to begin this project.

The result is a book that had contribution from a number of academics, including Professor Densil Williams, Nicole Plummer, Dr Denarto Dennis and Sandra Stubbs, who teach at the WJC.

The idea was fully embraced by JAMPRO’s president, Diane Edwards, and former Chairman Milton Samuda, with support from industry leaders such as GraceKennedy and Sandals.

Dr Longsworth and her team are hoping that the publication will expose to the wider public in an accessible way, the discussions that go on in the boardrooms and classrooms, as well as in the legislature and the libraries, as it is recognised that a siloed approach to economic transformation is not the way forward.

From left: Ricardo Anderson, one of the authors; Verona HenryFerguson; Dr Luz Longsworth; and Patrick Prendergast, acting principal, Western Jamaica Campus.

PHOTOS BY JANET SILVERA Senior administrative assistant at the University of the West Indies, Western Jamaica Campus, Inderia Adjudah, and JAMPRO’s regional manager, Conrad Robinson, converses over a copy of the book.

From left: Wendy Hart, UWI Western Jamaica Campus ambassadors Richard Ferdinand and Kathryn May pose for the camera at the launch.

From left: Dorothy Over poses with Jo Jo and Mark Wilson during the book launch.