ORLANDO – The University of the West Indies (UWI) has accepted an invitation to speak at the opening of the Fourth Annual Caribbean American Business Expo and Conference which starts here on Wednesday and will use the opportunity to seek closer collaboration with educational institutions, the private sector and the Caribbean Diaspora in Florida.
Expo organizers extended an invitation to UWI Vice Chancellor Professor Nigel Harris to speak at the event, to be held June 10 to 12. The university will be represented by a team led by Dr. Claremont Kirton, Head of the Department of Economics, Mona Campus, Jamaica.
The University team is expected to have discussions with County, State and US administration officials participating in the Conference including representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Orange County government and the City of Orlando.
Last year, UWI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Central Florida for collaboration in a number of areas including hospitality management. UWI is also interested in expanding its research work on a number of issues regarding the Diaspora including remittances.
A specialist in Economic Development Policy, Dr. Kirton is a founding member of the Caribbean Diaspora Economy Research Group (CDERG) in the Department of Economics, UWI, Mona. His research work includes development policy, regional economic integration, financial sector performance, micro and small scale enterprises, and economics of the Diaspora.
The Caribbean American Business Expo and Conference is organized each year as part of the observance of Caribbean Heritage Month and further information could be had from www. caribamericanexpo.com
