In a major step toward strengthening Trinidad and Tobago’s tertiary education, research and innovation ecosystem, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and The University of Trinidad and Tobago have signed a suite of Memoranda of Understanding designed to expand student opportunities, deepen institutional collaboration and accelerate applied research in areas critical to national and regional development.
The agreements create a collaborative framework across key disciplines, including mechanical and manufacturing engineering, mechatronics and innovation, chemical engineering, energy and the environment, biosciences and veterinary medicine. Together, they position both universities to deliver more integrated academic, research and training opportunities while supporting the development of graduates who are better prepared for industry, entrepreneurship, innovation and public service.
Senator Emeritus Professor the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training emphasised the need for both universities to work together for the benefit of the country, citing strategic partnerships between the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture and the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry; former iterations of UWI and UTT, respectively.
This view was shared by Emeritus Professor Selwyn R. Cudjoe, O.R.T.T., Executive Chairman, UTT, who, in his remarks at the ceremony, stated “both institutions possess significant expertise that can be leveraged for greater national good.”
Under the MOUs, The UWI and UTT will work together to increase research, educational and training opportunities for students and graduates through joint academic programming, shared expertise, research collaboration, student projects, internships, exchanges, electives, practicum opportunities, seminars, workshops, conferences and joint grant proposals.
Extolling the benefits of the agreement, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine stated that The UWI’s, “relationship with UTT has in fact been longstanding and fruitful, and this occasion marks a deepening of that relationship… It is a partnership we are proud of – one in which the national interest takes precedence over institutional boundaries as we prepare our students, support industry and shape solutions for the country and wider region.”
A central feature of the relationship is its emphasis on applied learning. In mechanical and manufacturing engineering, the partnership will support the design and delivery of new academic programmes, particularly in mechatronics, innovation and related interdisciplinary fields.
Commenting on the relevance of mechatronics, Professor Antoine shared that “it is one of the fastest growing fields shaping modern industry” and that “collaboration in this area allows institutions like ours to pool expertise, strengthen research capacity and better prepare students and policy makers to develop the technologies and solutions on which our country and region will increasingly depend.”
It will also promote shared facilities and laboratories, capstone projects and applied research that connect classroom learning to real-world problem solving, strengthening graduate readiness and employability. The chemical engineering and energy collaboration renews an established relationship between the institutions and will support joint work in energy and the environment, including strategic proposals, mutually beneficial projects, workshops and training.
In veterinary medicine and biosciences, the MOU between The UWI’s School of Veterinary Medicine and UTT’s Centre for Biosciences, Agriculture and Food Technologies provides a platform for joint study and training, student internships and exchanges, education abroad, joint supervision and teaching, professional development, public education and collaborative grant activity.
The partnership also provides for structured implementation through institutional representatives and committees, with activities to be developed by mutual agreement and aligned with the policies and priorities of both universities. The signing underscores a shared commitment to building a more collaborative, responsive and future-focused tertiary education sector. By aligning academic expertise, research infrastructure and student-centred opportunities, The MTEST, UWI and UTT are strengthening the bridge between higher education, national development and the evolving needs of industry and society.