KINGSTON, Jamaica – United States President Barack Obama on Thursday engaged students and youth leaders at a forum at the University of the West Indies, Mona in Kingston, in a question and answer session which saw him fielding questions from the more than 300-strong audience.

“I want to use this opportunity to‎ hear from you the youth and leaders of tomorrow,” President Obama said, as he took off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves to hear from those gathered.

The visit to the university came on the second day of his visit, after arriving in the island last night.

The president fielded questions alternatively from males and females on a range of issues, including the legalisation/decriminalisation of marijuana, immigration, China’s rise in power and its territorial war with Vietnam over the south China Sea, and violence among young black men.

In responding to one of the questions, the president said if he had the chance to go back in time and give himself advice before his first term in office he would have been more forceful in warning the American people about the severity of the worldwide economic recession.

Kimmo Matthews and Kimone Thompson