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Dr. Branson D. Belle
The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has recently announced the appointment of Dr. Branson D. Belle as the Executive Director of the Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy at The UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda.
In his new role, Dr. Belle will be responsible for advancing research and training in oceanography and sustainable maritime industries, with an aim to contribute to the development of the blue economy in the Caribbean region.
Dr. Belle is a distinguished scholar and an Antiguan national, with over 20 years of experience in cutting-edge technology development, obtained from renowned universities and research institutes.
He holds a Ph.D. in Magnetic Materials from the University of Manchester (UoM), where he also earned a Master’s degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering with First Class Honours, and spent a year at ENSEEIHT in Toulouse, France.
He was awarded the F.C. Williams (2000), IEEE (2001) and the Sir William Siemen (2003) awards for his outstanding academic achievements during his time at UoM. After obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. Belle worked as a Research Associate with Nobel Prize winners Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov.
He also co-founded 2-DTech Ltd, a materials and technology company that was later acquired by Versarien PLC. For the past nine years, Dr. Belle has been a senior scientist at SINTEF, one of Europe’s largest research institutes, working in the departments of Smart Sensor Systems and Sustainable Energy Technology.
He has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals and secured over $7 million in grant funding.
Dr. Belle is excited about his new role and said, “I am thrilled to be joining UWI FIC. After more than 25 years abroad studying and working with some of the world’s leading scientists and companies, I look forward to bringing this experience back to Antigua and Barbuda to further assist in the buildout of the campus and nation-building.”
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Justin Robinson expressed his excitement and noted that the addition of Dr. Belle to the CoBE will be a significant boost to The UWI Five Islands Campus.
He said, “The UWI Five Islands Campus is fortunate to be able to attract a scholar of Dr. Belle’s global stature at such an early stage in its development.” Professor Robinson further added, “Dr. Belle, a distinguished son of the soil, will lead the charge as the campus builds out a vibrant research culture.”
Dr. Belle will officially assume his new role as the Executive Director of the Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy at The UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda on August 1, 2024.
Congratulations to my colleague in. physics and math class at Antigua state college . Im proud of you my brother.