 Stephen Vasciannie |
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The Department of Government has had a long tradition of scholarship within the University of the West Indies. From the early days of the University, the Department's role, as shaped by pioneers such as Professor Gladstone Mills, has been to assist Caribbean society in the process of analysis and self-criticism that encourages the development of policy prescriptions for social and economic improvement.
In keeping with this tradition of scholarship, members of the Department today remain committed to the pursuit of research on a wide variety of national, regional and international issues. At almost any point in time, lecturers from the Department are likely to be consid- |
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ering issues ranging from globalisation to Garveyism, from sports to gender, from "administrivia" in the public sector to the role of political theory in developing countries, and from the myths of the Jamaican post-independence elite to prevailing perspectives on the police force. At the level of teaching, the Department offers a broad range of options, with courses falling generally within the sub-disciplines of Political Science, Public Administration and International Relations. These sub-disciplines are, of course, not watertight; and students often find it possible to benefit from exposure to courses from each of these sub-disciplines while, simultaneously, pursuing courses in economics, sociology, management studies and so on. I encourage you to approach your studies in the Department of Government with an open mind, and with a willingness to raise questions and engage in debate on the issues placed before you. Now, as always, you should be prepared to ask not only about how our world is organized, but also about why it is so organized. And you should always be prepared to challenge nonsense masquerading as wisdom. This is your place to shine. Enjoy yourself! Stephen Vasciannie, D.Phil
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