Almost three weeks ago, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the result of which has been described as a full-on war. On Thursday, March 10, The University of the West Indies’ Office of the Vice-Chancellor together with The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) held a Vice-Chancellor’s Forum, examining the current situation and its implications for the global oil industry and the Caribbean.
During his opening remarks of the event themed, “Of Ukraine Oil” Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI described the regional university’s position, stating “There remains a challenge within fine universities to accept the principle of militarism as a primary form of public management. We support in general, the notion that diplomacy is not simply intellectualism nor a low valued proposition as we entered the 21st century”.
Speaking pointedly to the impact of the conflict on the Caribbean region he said, “The world will now be called upon to engage and embrace and absorb the significance of an energy crisis and the significance of food security for these nations. They constitute a significant setback for nation-building in the Caribbean. Since we are vulnerable to the volatility of energy supply and prices and we are vulnerable to the volatility in the supply and prices of food.”
The Forum chaired by Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, University Director, SALISES, featured remarks by Ambassador Dr. Richard L. Bernal, Professor of Practice, SALISES and Mr James Stewart, Senior Director, Economic Planning and Research, Planning Institute of Jamaica and a keynote by Mr Bashir Badawi, Management Consultant, Seladon Petroleum Associates Limited.
Article & Photo from: The University of the West Indies, Mona