by Donella D Hosten
As part of their 40th anniversary celebrations, the St George’s University (SGU) hosted its 17th Research Day and 6th Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day, on Saturday, 21 October and Sunday, 22 October 2017.
The 2-day symposium included researchers and presenters from the SGU’s 4 Schools – Graduate School, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Medicine.
According to Dr Calum Macpherson, SGU’s Director of Research and Founding Director of the Windward Island Research and Education Foundation, this event has been held every 16-18 months since 1994. He believes that the inclusion of all 4 schools of the university is the perfect way to commemorate their 40th anniversary, as well as for them to share research among themselves.
There were also a number of presenters and researchers from other international and regional Universities, including the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT), Washington University, University of Technology in Jamaica, Glasgow University and Mahidol University in Thailand.
The overall theme selected for the 2-day event was ‘One Health One Medicine.’This, Dr Macpherson stated, is, “because one health is the optimal health for humans, plants and animals and the environment.” He went on to affirm that the different areas that are being researched and presented during the sessions are very diverse and their contributions are considered invaluable. One of the main aims of this event is to create ways that researchers can collaborate for optimal health for one another.
St George’s University comprises an extremely diverse faculty and student body, and “by bringing [them] together, it’s really celebrating what we are and what we are contributing,” Dr Macpherson commented.
During the symposium, there were plenary sessions and small group or breakout sessions, where researchers presented their work orally and were timed and judged accordingly. After presenting, they were questioned, critiqued and commended on their presentations by onlookers and other presenters. Day 2 of the symposium continued with sessions and presentation of research posters. Participants had the option of oral or poster research presentations prior to the symposium.
Participants and researchers were thankful for the opportunities afforded to them to learn from and share with each other. One presenter described the sessions as being informative and interesting. The final day concluded on a celebratory note as door prizes from sponsors were won by selected participants.
