1. Food Security and Climate Change

Composition and Membership

Activities: No activities to date

2. Crime Security and Justice

Composition and Membership

Activities:

The School for Graduate Studies and Research was invited to participate in a Public Lecture entitled “The Dudus Effect: The Decline in Violent Crimes 2010-2014” which was hosted by the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS). The SGSR assisted with the public relations aspect of the Lecture and this proved to be of great benefit to the Institute. The Lecture, amongst other things, opened the door for future research collaborations with government ministries and private sector organizations, members of which were present in the audience. 

3. Integration Studies and the CSME

Composition and Membership

Activities: One activity to date

4. Indigenous Studies

Composition and List of Potential/Participating Membership

The Indigenous Studies cluster brings together and bolsters existing efforts to partner with Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean Region, creating rich opportunities for faculty and Indigenous collaboration. As an activist University undergirded by principles of social justice, the UWI will take an active lead in galvanizing research, developing coursework, and working collaboratively with Indigenous scholars and community members—recognising that Indigenous knowledges are rooted in lived-experiences, Indigenous science and research methodologies that are built into everyday survivance. The Cluster takes a broad view of Indigeneity, embracing First Peoples of the Region, Maroons and Rastafarians. Themes include (1) pre-Columbian archaeology across the Region, (2) Rastafari Studies; (3) Indigenous and vernacular languages; (3) Contemporary Indigenous-led social movements around food sovereignty, gender justice, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and Indigenous self-determination.

Activities: Launch of the Cluster to take place on March 26, 2024.

5. Industrial Engineering & Management 

Composition and Membership

*This Cluster originated from the IEM Research Group, established in 2003 within the MME-Industrial Engineering Office at the Faculty of Engineering, UWI-St. Augustine Campus.

Activities: 

Launch – Industrial Engineering and Management Journal (IEMJ)

IEMJ is an international journal jointly published twice yearly by the MME-Industrial Engineering Office (with support of the IEM Research Group /Cluster) and The Society of Caribbean Industrial Engineers (SCIE). The journal aims at contributing to the development of viable engineering skills, techniques, management practices and strategies relating to improving the performance of enterprises, community, and the quality of life of human beings at large. Built upon the industrial engineering and management domain, IEMJ positions itself to the Caribbean development by identifying and supporting emerging research areas and promoting engineering profession and practices and associated disciplines in the region. IEMJ’s Website: https://iecarib.org/journals/industrial-engineering-and-management-journal-iemj/)

The first issue (with 7 articles) has been launched in June 2022. Since then, five issues in three volumes have been published. The latest issue (Volume 3, Number 1) with 6 articles published in June 2024 (https://iecarib.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NISSN_IEMJ_v3n1_Jun2024_C...).
 The forthcoming issue (Volume 3, Number 2) is being prepared and will be published in December 2024. Besides, a Special Issue Announcement and Call for Papers is made for IEMJ, Vol.4 No.1 June 2025, and the theme is set as: “Towards Sustainable Production and Operations with Circular Economy and Transformation of Industries”. 
 

Past Conferences and Outreach Events

• The Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) Conferences 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 (see https://iecarib.org/industrial-engineering-and-management-conference/)
• Public Seminar Series on Project Management Practices in the Caribbean, UWI, for 16 years since 2006, in collaboration other professional bodies in Trinidad and Tobago. The forthcoming PM15 Seminar is being organised for December 2024 (Details are to be available shortly).
• The e-Seminar Series in 2021, 2022. 2023 and 2024, in collaboration the CAS Trinidad and Tobago Chapter.

Research Work and Publications

For the past decade, the leader and members of the Group/Cluster have engaged in many research projects and graduate students’ supervision and contributed to scholarly work. The Group/Cluster’s publications are available on request (For selected work from the Group leader, see https://research.com/u/kit-fai-pun).

The Sixth Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) Conference (IEM6-2026)

The IEM6-2026 Conference is being organised in collaboration with The Society of Caribbean Industrial Engineers (SCIE) and other professional bodies in Trinidad and Tobago. It is targeted to be hosted at the Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies – St. Augustine Campus in August 2026.
 

6. One-UWI Gender Research

Composition and Membership

Summary of the Gender Research Cluster

• The cluster launch took place on April 16, 2024

• The first meeting/event to take place during IGDS 16 Days of Activism in November 2024

Recognizing the importance of gender issues in academia and society, the gender research cluster fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and provides a dedicated space for studying the complex intersections of gender with various social, cultural, and political factors.  Through intersectional research, education, and advocacy, the cluster helps generate insights into gender dynamics, informs policy-making, and promotes gender equity and inclusivity in Caribbean societies.  The rationale for a gender research cluster lies in its ability to centralize expertise, resources, and discourses around gender-related issues. 

The IGDS-RCO will facilitate this collaborative enterprise with a team composed of IGDS members and affiliates from other faculties engaged in gender-focused research along with regional external partners. The cluster will also collaborate closely with IGDS alumni who are active in academia or occupy gender-centric roles across various sectors including NGOs, CSOs, governmental bodies, and private enterprises.  This collective effort will actively contribute to achieving the objectives outlined in Ordinance 60 and the UWI Gender Task Force Report, both pivotal documents that underpin the UWI’s ascent as a significant regional and global influencer in the realm of gender justice scholarship with activist and policy implications. 

7. Generative AI for Good Research

Composition and Membership

The Generative AI for Good research cluster led by the Academic Director of the Five Islands Campus in Antigua, Dr. Curtis Charles is supported by Prof Patrick Hosein of the St. Augustine Campus, Prof Ian Hambleton of Cave Hill Campus, and Prof Maurice McNaughton of Mona Campus. Dr. Charles led the presenters in explaining the principle of the operation of the cluster is to initiate a strategic alliance of the five campuses dedicated to harnessing the transformative power of generative artificial intelligence. He explained that the research cluster is intended to provide a broad structure which incorporates a variety of stakeholders in the Caribbean community. The research cluster is intended to showcase the board expertise of the UWI as a whole and is expected to have significant project and financial activity. 

Activities to date:
Conference
"Reimagining the Digital Transformation of the Caribbean in an Age of Generative AI & the 5th Industrial Revolution on July 8 – 10 2024. 

8. Resilience Through Entrepreneurship

Composition and Membership

The Resilience Through Entrepreneurship Research Cluster, focuses on building a sustainable entrepreneurial business and social sector in the Caribbean to bridge the gap in business and social entrepreneurship research in the region. Our objectives include creating a comprehensive database of social sector organisations, promoting social entrepreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship principles and concepts to transition civil society organisations to social enterprises, supporting the transition of minority groups through entrepreneurial action, developing the social economy within the Caribbean and map the first Caribbean-wide entrepreneurship (business and social) ecosystem.

Social development (SD) requires synchronisation and harmony among government, private, and social sectors to achieve triple bottom line (social, economic, and environmental) performance. Academia is crucial in providing guidance and support for SD through ongoing research and new knowledge. Further, the United Nations Resolution A/77/L.60 of April 18, 2023, advocate social entrepreneurship and social enterprise with the social and solidarity economy as being fundamental to attaining the societal transformation envisioned in Agenda 21 and the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]. 

Other Active Clusters (more details coming soon)