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Presented by the Honourable Christine Kangaloo Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education at the 2 nd Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation as tools for increasing productivity: the case of Trinidad & Tobago Slide 2 The Caribbean environment The National Vision for Trinidad and Tobago Education for human capacity building: Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean Technological innovation and competitiveness Slide 3 Globalisation and its impact on economic, social, cultural, political and technological development Growth and development: education and innovation The international environment: the dynamic of competitiveness Slide 4 To achieve developed country status on or before the year 2020 To be a united, resilient, productive, innovative, and prosperous nation with a disciplined, caring, fun-loving society comprising healthy, happy and well-educated people and built on the enduring attributes of self-reliance, respect, tolerance, equity and integrity, in which Slide 5 every citizen has equal opportunities to achieve his fullest potential; all citizens enjoy a high quality of life, where quality healthcare is available to all and where safe, peaceful, environmentally-friendly communities are maintained; all citizens are assured of a sound, relevant education system tailored to meet the human resource needs of a modern, progressive, technologically-advancing nation; Slide 6 the family, as the foundation of the society, contributes to its growth, development and stability; there is respect for the rule of law and human rights and the promotion of the principles of democracy; the diversity and creativity of all its people are valued and nurtured; optimum use is made of all the resources of the nation. Slide 7 Developing innovative people Nurturing a caring society Enabling competitive business Investing in sound infrastructure and environment Promoting effective Government Slide 8 Economic development Social and cultural development Technological development Slide 9 Major investments in education at all levels Encouraging standards of excellence at secondary and tertiary education levels Curriculum renewal to inform improved standards of learning Expanding the number of graduates and post-graduates in science, technology and engineering Slide 10 Developing a buoyant culture of research and development that is relevant to the achieve- ment of innovation and competitiveness Creating linkages across sectors Gender mainstreaming Ensuring quality assurance for all programmes Slide 11 Strong political will in support of the vision and attendant strategies Active participation by the private sector Popularisation of careers in science, engineering and technology-based professions and skills Policies that facilitate the protection of innovation, and encourage entrepreneurship A financial system that supports new ventures Slide 12 Limitations in human and financial resource capacity linked to population size and infrastructural readiness Slow pace in creating interest in research and development Developing strategies to transform new technologies into commercially-viable solutions Building a community of entrepreneurs Slide 13 The establishment of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Financial support to UWI to improve its infrastructure The establishment of social programmes driven by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education (MSTTE) The institution of new [financial] incentives to increase tertiary education enrollment Slide 14 We have engaged in steelpan innovation We continue to popularise science through exploration and exhibition We are using the music industry to develop a fusion of cultures We continue to create hybrids in horticulture and livestock Slide 15 Close to100,000 students currently enrolled in post-secondary and tertiary education The establishment of a state agency, eTecK, that promotes the growth of the non-energy sector and knowledge-based industries The existence of three universities offering different options and approaches to the delivery of professional programmes in science, technology and engineering Slide 16 An ambitious plan for the improvement and/or expansion of infrastructure Innovative approaches to the revival of agriculture and food production The introduction of a revised apprenticeship scheme in the TVET sector The widening of access to tertiary education Slide 17 Trinidad and Tobago has seen rapid growth fuelled by an innovative, well-manned and productive energy sector The country now has the opportunity, through improvements in technology and engineering, to follow that success in the non-energy, services and knowledge-based sectors Slide 18 Thank you Any questions?