CYSF 2010 - Opening Ceremony

Early afternoon showers only served to provide a sharp contrast to the expectant spirits and cheerful colours of the T-shirts worn by the 2010 CYSF participants, gathered for the Forum’s Opening Ceremony on August 8th. Some 200-strong, this year’s Caribbean Youth Science Forum boasts participation from seven Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and host country, Trinidad and Tobago. The event, hosted by NIHERST’s National Science Centre (NSC) runs over the 8-day period, 8th – 15th August 2010.

At the Opening Ceremony, Mrs. Maureen Manchouck, President of NIHERST welcomed the youngsters, and told them that they made up the almost 2000 students welcomed over the past nine years of the Forum. She also noted that CYSF has repeatedly changed the lives of those who take part in the week of activities and urged them to make the most of the programme.

Following her introductory remarks, Chairperson of the Ceremony, Mrs. Lesley-Ann Nelson of the NSC, invited Trinidad-born engineer, Professor Anil Kokaram to the podium to deliver a presentation. Professor Kokaram, who is a lecturer and researcher at Dublin University, Ireland, attended Hillview College during his teenage years in Trinidad and no doubt, after his presentation, the ‘Hillview boys’ in the audience were beaming with pride at the accomplishments of their celebrated alumnus.

Kokaram’s presentation, entitled “Engineering and the Movies” set the tone for the week of CYSF, as he combined the story of his career pathway in science, along with an introduction to the industry-application of his field of research, while also giving useful advice to the sixth formers on the pursuit of their own academic journey in science. Talk about a well-engineered presentation!

Interspersed with some ‘cool’ clips from popular movies, Professor Kokaram gave an introduction to the application of the motion estimation technique used to improve on old films and add special effects in new movie post-production, a technique which has been incorporated in movie-making since 2007.

He noted the congruence of technology and entertainment, as seen in the use of PCs and cell phones for more than their original functions, and explained how this type of technology therefore has usefulness in other digital media systems. This, he said, emphasized the point that the field of engineering was constantly evolving and pervaded many areas of everyday life, giving also the example of engineers even being at Formula One racetracks to assist teams in improving their performance and safety procedures through predictive work.

Kokaram then walked students through his own journey from Hillview College, to Cambridge University, research, collaborative work and his current position as lecturer and researcher. He provided video clips of interviews with young researchers from the Caribbean who are currently pursuing PhD degrees at Dublin University in his SigmaMedia group. In closing his presentation, he encouraged the participants that in choosing their own academic and career paths that they should do what they have a passion for and pursue this with all their heart.

The audience at the Opening Ceremony was then serenaded by Mr. Edward Cumberbatch, physics lecturer at The University of Trinidad and Tobago and local tenor and member of the Lydian Singers.

In the absence of The Honourable Fazal Karim, Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, who was unable to attend because of prior commitments, the Feature Address was delivered by Permanent Secretary Margaret Richardson. Ms Richardson commended NIHERST for its foresight in initiating and sustaining the Forum and also commended the sixth form students who chose to attend CYSF during their vacation period.

She noted that the Forum could not in fact be considered an extra-curricular activity, as it was quite integral to their learning. The lectures, debates and networking opportunities of CYSF were to be seen as critical components of their education, and opportunities to get a head start on their future. She emphasized the need for the students to develop their critical thinking skills, and reiterated comments made by Professor Kokaram, that they should be encouraged to find creative solutions to problems, in new knowledge production rather than reproduction.

While she agreed that the academic and professional opportunities outside the region were of wider and greater scope, she indicated that there were many ways that students who opted to pursue those opportunities could give back to the region and encouraged them to remember this. In closing, she provided a quotation from U.S. President Barack Obama to the people of Ghana, which spoke to taking responsibility for one’s future, and reminded them that opportunities come from the decisions and the choices that they make themselves, the things they do and the hope they hold in their own hearts.

Ms Althea Maund, chairperson of the CYSF Planning Committee and Head of the Science Education Unit at the NSC, then delivered the Vote of Thanks. She was herself commended for her vision and support of the Forum with a hearty round of applause by the audience after her delivery. The Ceremony then came to a close and light refreshments were served after the function.

The Forum’s formal opening launched the start of an exciting week of activities, and participants made their way back to their respective halls of residence at the UWI campus, all charged up and rearing to go, with a Foresighting Workshop and tour of the National Science Centre on the agenda for Monday 9th August 2010.