Guyana Chronicle
May 29, 2001

CARIBBEAN Academy of Sciences (CAS) will hold its Twelfth Annual Meeting and Conference and a five-day science and technology exhibition here next month.

Venue of the conference is Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown and participants in the June 9 to 13 programme are being drawn from regional governments and governmental as well as non-governmental organisations involved in scientific and technological matters.

Under the theme `Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century', the exposition will target schoolchildren at all levels.

The five-day display, also involving local and international companies, will be mounted at the Umana Yana, in Kingston, too, from June 11.

President Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Sam Hinds are expected to declare open the conference and exhibition, respectively.

Chairman of the Organising Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana (UG), Mr John Caesar said, in keeping with its mission and objectives, CAS organises such events annually.

He said the June programme will provide those taking part with "a unique opportunity to discuss and re-evaluate" activities in their disciplines.

Giving a brief history of CAS, Caesar said it was inaugurated on May 16, 1988 in Port of Spain and is headquartered at University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus, also in Trinidad.

Its aims are to: * promote the development of all branches of science and technology for the Caribbean Region;

* enhance the status of the scientific professions;

* increase public awareness and understanding of the impact of science and technology on the development of society and

* act as a resource base for scientific professions.

Caesar said membership spawns about 18 countries but is still growing and a number of international experts, including Professor Calestous Juma of the Centre for International Development at Harvard University, Professor I. Kahwa of UWI and Dr Mirdad Kazanji of Pasteur Institute in France, will be delivering addresses at the Georgetown forum.

Juma will lecture on `Science and Technology for Development: Opportunities for the 21st Century'.

Kahwa's topic is `Environmental Chemistry and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean' and Kanzanji is to deal with `An Anti-HIV Vaccine'.

Other speakers are Professor Bernd von Droste, former Secretary General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Dr Raymond Wright, Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica Petroleum Company and Professor Hans van Ginkel, Rector of United Nations University and an Under Secretary General of the world body.

More CAS goals are to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas among scientists on important issues related to the application of science and technology development, liaise with relevant research organisations and assist in facilitating their mutual interaction.

The June programme includes training courses on `Strategic Environmental Assessment' (June 4 and 5), `Applications of Environmental Management System and Strategic Planning in Industry' (June 6 to 8) and `Risk Assessment and Risk Management (June 14 and 15).

All are scheduled for the Le Meridien Pegasus and Professor Maria Partidario of Portugal and Professor Sharon Jones of Indiana and Dr Richard Schwing of Michigan, both in United States, will be facilitators.

Caesar said the foreigners are accomplished experts and authors in their respective fields and are bringing enormous skills and experiences.

"In this era of globalisation, it is imperative that requisite international skills and standards in environmental management are acquired to strengthen local business, public and service sectors as well as the strategic planning milieu, while enhancing our international competitiveness," he stressed.

"Sound environmental management is a prerequisite and corollary to sustainable development," Caesar posited.

Lecturer in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at UG, Mr Raymond Ramsaroop said the exhibition is designed for children still at school, from nursery.

He said it is a way to popularise science and highlight the many activities and accomplishments in the field.