Vice-Chancellor Beckles meets scientists and observes
La Soufrière monitoring operations
The UWI Regional Headquarters Jamaica. Thursday, May 20, 2021—Vice-Chancellor, of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles heard first-hand from scientists at the University’s Seismic Research Centre (UWI–SRC) about their months of treacherous work and experience, when he visited Saint Vincent and the Grenadines last Friday.
Vice-Chancellor Beckles was briefed by the scientific team, led by Volcanologist, Dr Adam Stinton on its monitoring and advising on the La Soufrière volcano, which has been critical to the Government in preparing for, managing and now recovering from the volcano’s eruption.
The visit to the Belmont Observatory was part of a tour of Saint Vincent prioritised by Vice-Chancellor Beckles immediately following the Government’s lowering of the volcanic alert level. He personally offered his gratitude to the team for its leadership and praised the scientists’ dedication and significant achievements throughout the crisis on the island.
Advice provided by the UWI–SRC enabled the successful evacuation of over 13,000 residents from the designated red and orange zones in Saint Vincent, 24 hours prior to the first explosion of the volcano on April 9. More than thirty-two discrete explosions have been observed since the onset of explosive activity. To date, there has been no loss of life.
The work of the UWI–SRC team, which has been on rotation since the onset of the volcano’s heightened activity in December 2020, demonstrates another example of The UWI's mandate of service to the Caribbean region in times of crisis. As part of its mission, the regional university is committed to providing the technical expertise and knowledge needed to support the Caribbean’s resilience to hazards and ultimately minimising the impact of natural disasters like this.
In addition to leading the science through monitoring, researching, educating, and advising, the UWI–SRC has also been providing critical communications response that has received commendation from the international volcanological community. Leading up to, and throughout La Soufrière’s explosive phase, UWI–SRC worked closely with the country’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) to help the Government and its agencies in risk communication in addition to shaping public policy and response plans.
Vice-Chancellor Beckles’ May 14 visit to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also included a courtesy call to Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves as well as staff of The UWI Open Campus, in the capital city, Kingstown.
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L-R: Dr Ilias Papadopoulos, Engineering Seismologist, UWI-SRC, Ms Houlda Peters, Communications Officer, National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI, and Dr Adam Stinton, Volcanologist, in the Operations Room at the Belmont Observatory in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Dr Adam Stinton, Volcanologist, shows Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI seismic signals from the various stations monitoring La Soufrière.
Dr Adam Stinton, Volcanologist, shows Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI various zones demarked across the island in relation to the La Soufrière volcano.
L-R: Dr Ilias Papadopoulos, Engineering Seismologist, UWI-SRC, Ms Houlda Peters, Communications Officer, National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI.
About The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC)
The Seismic Research Centre was set up in 1953 and became part of The UWI in 1962. From its headquarters in Trinidad, it operates a volcano and earthquake monitoring network throughout the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean islands extending from St. Kitts & Nevis to Trinidad & Tobago. The UWI-SRC is responsible for monitoring earthquake and volcanic activity in these islands. The region in which these countries are located is seismically active and historically has been the site of earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8.0. There are at least 19 live volcanoes in the region, which have been the sites of numerous eruptions, most recently in Montserrat (1995-present), Dominica (1997, phreatic) and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2020-present). The UWI-SRC currently manages the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), which is responsible for monitoring the on-going eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano.
About The UWI
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.
From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.
Ranked among the top universities in the world, by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education, The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists. In 2020, it earned ‘Triple 1st’ rankings—topping the Caribbean; and in the top in the tables for Latin America and the Caribbean, and global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the top universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
For more, visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
