UWI Lecture Champion Collaboration for Research and Innovation Culture

By Aabigayle McIntosh

Another high-ranking faculty member of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (UWIFIC) is advocating strongly for the development of a research and innovation culture through collaboration at the tertiary institution.

Dr. Ilenius Ildephonce, Lecturer and Interim Head of the School of Science, Computing & Artificial Intelligence at The UWI, Five Islands, emphasized that the UWI campuses, with their focus on research, house a team of researchers who are experts in various fields of study.

However, he highlighted an urgent need for a collaboration mechanism to apply their research and directly influence governance, policy, politics, and business.

Dr. Ildephonce noted that this collaboration has not naturally developed due to society’s lack of a research ethos. He explained that the absence of a unified research framework or a culture of evidence-based practices has resulted in scientists working in isolation on projects that only target academic journals.

“I believe that UWI-Five Islands is in a good position to stimulate the research culture. The campus is in its building phase, presenting unique opportunities to embed an applied research culture in close collaboration with industry and government partners,” he said.

Dr. Ildephonce added, “Research on interdisciplinary academic-industry collaborations reveals that one of the underlying barriers to success is due to universities not being properly structured to promote and reward this initiative.”

He further explained that it is now time for the university, private sector, and government to ensure that the campus, in its core DNA, facilitates and rewards industry partnership and applied research, resulting in on-the-ground impacts toward longer-term, resilient societal outcomes.

“The research will have a greater impact, especially if the direct involvement of decision-makers, the public, and businesses is visualized and enablers are put in place to seamlessly support this research, linking science to the application of economics, politics, risk management, health, wellness, etc.,” he stated.

Dr. Ildephonce emphasized that establishing a culture centered on research is vital for the sustainable progress of any society and relies on the collaboration of the government, academia, and social and private sectors to achieve shared objectives.

Campus Principal Professor C Justin Robinson made a similar call weeks ago.