MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) recently hosted its annual Research Week under the theme: ‘Leveraging Research for the Public Good and Development in the 21st century’.

Forty local and international presenters engaged students and the wider university body from February 3 to 6 on the campus here.

NCU President Dr Lincoln Edwards said in his official message for Research Week that the university is focused on providing an environment that spurs innovation and research.

“Any activity, initiative, or discovery that contributes to our nation’s continued development and which benefits its citizens requires attention, support, and incentivisation. Accordingly, NCU has made a name for itself by providing an environment that spurs innovation and encourages research,” said Edwards.

“Over the past 10 years, our students and faculty have excelled remarkably in the area of impactful research. Worthy of note is the success and winning ways of the various student teams that have entered the national and international business model competitions.

“It is the rigour of research that has enabled our students and faculty to reap success. Most significantly, too, all their developments characteristically serve the public good and have the capacity to contribute to the country’s sustainable development,” he added.

NCU’s director of Research Dr Jacqueline Vigilance told Observer Central that the week of activities encouraged interaction between researchers and students.

“We wanted not only to inform stakeholders… but we also wanted to have the interaction between researchers and to motivate students to want to do research.

“Students have left the week of activities excited about getting involved in research. The research that occurs at NCU is multidisciplinary. There are people doing educational research.

“One of the presentations during the week was about the readiness of three educational institutions in Manchester to facilitate students with physical disabilities,” Dr Vigilance said.