NCU aims to make impact in STEM

Mandeville-based Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is positioning itself as a centre for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Recently, a team of NCU students were awarded second place in the final of the Microsoft Project Blue Mountain Hackathon.

The NCU project, GeaoSync smart waste management system, focuses on fighting pollution in Jamaica. The system proposes the utilisation of a computer software application to improve waste management across the country in collaboration with the National Solid Waste Management Authority.

This is the latest in the 117-year-old institution’s aim to promote STEM education to fulfil the vision of Jamaica becoming a STEM island, which Prime Minister Andrew Holness articulated in April of this year. He said the country would work towards that goal through a “collaborative, all-hands-on-deck approach by government, private sector, academia, and the civil society”.

NCU is equipped to play a significant role in helping the Government achieve this goal. A sampling of STEM programmes offerings are as follows:

*Nursing and allied health, including medical technology, dental hygiene, dietetics and nutrition – all services in demand by the healthcare sector.

*Natural and applied sciences, including programmes in biology, chemistry, environmental science, and agriculture. These provide both theoretical knowledge and hands-on research, giving students the skills to contribute to critical sectors like environmental conservation, agriculture, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and scientific research.

*Computer and information sciences, including the recent offering in cybersecurity in response in response to the growing demand for expertise in protecting digital infrastructures.

*Engineering, including specialised programmes in electrical and electronics engineering, as well as computer systems engineering, equipping students with the skills to work in cutting-edge tech industries.

*Modern labs and facilities that support hands-on learning in STEM disciplines, including cutting-edge equipment and technology in computer science, medical technology, engineering, and nursing with its modern simulation lab.

The prime minister said: “Jamaica will develop ecosystems conducive to start-ups and innovators across various STEM industries, including biotechnology, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.”

In this regard, NCU has been a leader in applied research, as well as innovation in science and technology. The Aeorion Learning Management System, developed by NCU more than 15 years ago, is used today by several other tertiary institutions in Jamaica, as well as in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Hong Kong.

Furthermore, NCU students have excelled in many national and international science and technology competitions. In addition, the pioneering research on sorrel done at NCU by Paul Gyles and Juliet Penrod laid the foundation for the commercialisation of the plant as a beverage in many of its formulations. NCU is also involved in greenhouse farming projects funded by UNESCO Jamaica mission, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture.

NCU’s faculty in STEM education are highly qualified, bringing a mix of academic knowledge and real-world experience. They are committed to nurturing students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. NCU board member Dr Witford Reid is a strong proponent of STEM education. Reid, a board-certified anaesthesiologist, notes that Prime Minister Holness also announced the funding of STEM scholarships at tertiary institutions as one strategy to fulfil the goal of transforming Jamaica to a STEM island. Reid is anticipating that NCU will be selected as one of the institutions to receive STEM scholarship recipients.