SRC to Stage Several Activities for S & T Month

The Scientific Research Council (SRC), will be spearheading a series of events in observance of National Science and Technology (S&T) Month, which is being observed throughout November, under the theme: ‘Science and Technology Driving Industry and Commerce’.
Team Leader for the Popularisation of Science and Technology at the SRC, Doreen Dietrich, told JIS News that, “focus will be placed on the use of applicable and appropriate forms of science and technology, in transforming the island’s economic landscape.”
A major highlight of the month’s activities, is the staging of the 22nd annual Conference and Exposition on Science and Technology, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, from November 18 to 20.
She outlined that the three-day conference and exposition would seek to generate recommendations for the way forward, through new policy directions and regulatory framework as well as the establishment of infrastructure, to support and expand the use of science and technology for growth and development.
Local and internationally acclaimed scientists and technologists, representatives from the public and private sectors, industry leaders as well as entrepreneurs, will make presentations and demonstrate how S&T can be used as a powerful economic tool.
Presentation topics will include: ‘Agriculture & Agro-processing’; ‘Supporting Growth and Development in the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Sector’; ‘Technology, Innovations & Creativity in the Workplace’; ‘Energy Security for Competitiveness’; ‘National and International Regulatory Regimes for Trade & Commerce’; and ‘Information & Communication Technologies’.
Running alongside the conference will be two expositions, one of which will feature products, services and paraphernalia relating to the theme, while the other will showcase inventions and innovations by the Inventors/Innovators Association.
For the first time, there will be a section for ‘Creative Kids’, to display their handiwork in science, technology and innovation.
In addition, several awards will be presented, including the Young Scientist/Technologist Award, initiated in 1990 and sponsored by the Jamaica Public Service Company. This award is presented to a young scientist/technologist, who has conducted research in the area of the current conference theme.
Awards will also be given to the island’s top achievers in science for 2008, in the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).
Mrs. Dietrich noted that the activities would culminate with an Open House at the SRC’s Old Hope Road headquarters on November 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
She explained that the day would offer an opportunity for the scientific community to interact with students and the general public, adding that there would also be educational exhibits, and persons would be able to view the latest research being conducted at the SRC.
Activities already held in observance of the Month, include a Thanksgiving Service at the St. Margaret Anglican Church on November 2, and a ceremony at King’s House on October 31, when the Governor-General read the proclamation for the Month.