The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) has collaborated with the Power Generation
Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (PowerGen), to host the third annual Utilities and
Sustainable Engineering (USE) Award Ceremony. This ceremony serves to recognise top
students from the University’s USE programmes, through the awarding of bursaries and
scholarships by PowerGen.
This joint initiative is the result of a two-year old Memorandum of Understanding between UTT
and PowerGen, by which both parties committed to collaborate in energy-related research,
particularly in areas such as energy efficiency, while training and developing human capital in
emerging fields.
At the award ceremony, Guyanese-based Sharu Laloo was awarded a scholarship for the
Most Outstanding National Energy Technician Diploma (NETD) Final Year Project, and for
exceptional work in his final-year Bachelor in Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Utilities Engineering
project, Vikash Persad was also awarded a scholarship. Recipients of this year’s PowerGen
bursaries are Shivani Ragbir and Ariyan Taiju, for Consistent High Academic Performance at
the B.A.Sc. and NETD levels, respectively.
In his address, Professor Rean Maharaj, Acting President, UTT commended all awardees for
fulfilling UTT’s mission to produce graduates who are technically competent, disciplined and
ready to contribute to society. This mission, he added, is achieved in part because UTT’s
programmes are deliberately industry driven, “Through advisory boards and continuous
engagement with employers, curriculum design, delivery and review remain aligned to real
industry needs”.
Also speaking at the award ceremony was Marsha Mohammed, Head, Legal Advisory
Services, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, PowerGen, who also lauded the awardees on their
achievements, citing they ‘represent the very best of what our country has to offer – talented,
disciplined and forward-thinking individuals – ready to take on the challenges of the
transforming utilities landscape.
At this event, two longstanding members of USE staff were also recognised for their
contributions to the Unit, Mr Moti Ramsingh, Senior Instructor and former Discipline Leader,
with over twenty-one years’ service who has been instrumental in the development and
strengthening of the NETD programmes; and recently retired Instructor in Electrical, Electronic
and Renewable Energy Engineering Technology, Mr Deoraj Ramroop, who, over nineteen
years, made a significant contribution through his dedication to teaching and hands-on
training.
Through collaboration such as this, UTT demonstrates its commitment to building the next
generation of engineers and technical professionals while supporting national sustainable
development goals. UTT also thanks PowerGen for its continued partnership, and looks
forward to working together, to the benefit of all of Trinidad and Tobago