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development of the “University Town”, following the
completion of the concept document. Collaboration
with Hope Estate Educational Partners (HEEP),
continued as HEEP worked towards enhancing the
well-being of persons with disabilities.
The “Saturday University” initiative for community
GSAT, GNAT, and CSEC students was held and the
annual summer “Teach the Youth” programme of
the Students Union was completed. Both of these
programmes benefitted students in the Papine
Development Area of East Rural St Andrew, Highlight
View, Hope Tavern, Kintyre and August Town.
Business/Culture/Study Tour to China
During the reporting period, the VP who is also
Professor in the Scotiabank Chair in Entrepreneurship
and Development led a small team on a Business/
Study/Culture Tour to China. The team comprised
educators, representatives from the private sector /
business community, as well as representatives from
the music and cultural industry.
The aim of the tour was to facilitate greater
understanding of the Chinese business, education and
cultural environments, highlight opportunities for the
University in particular and by extension, the country,
for closer cooperation and exchanges in culture,
education, economy and trade.
A post-tour debriefing was made to the UTech,
Jamaica, Ja. community and a second was held for
the external community. For the latter, the Scotiabank
Chair partnered with JAMPRO, LASCO, WorldNet,
and CPTC to stage a debriefing on July 29, 2014, at
the JAMPRO auditorium to over 150 persons. Guests
included representatives from the Ministries of Industry,
Investment and Commerce, Education, Foreign
Affairs, and Culture, as well as representatives from
the Chinese Embassy, the Jamaica-China Friendship
Association, and the Chinese Benevolent Association.
The major outcome of the tour for the University
centred on collaboration activities with Sias International
University.
Professor Rosalea Hamilton, Vice President - Community Service and
Development, shares an overview of the outcomes of the visit to China
at a special debriefing session on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at the JAMPRO
Business Auditorium, Kingston.
THE UTECH, JAMAICA “THINK TANK”
In October 2014 the Office of Community Service
and Development established a Think Tank Group to
organise and encourage public debate on important
issues of national interest Appropriately, since it was
at the height of the chikingunya epidemic, the Think
Tank’s first activity was to host a panel discussion
entitled “ChikV and Ebola - What you should know”
in collaboration with the College of Health Sciences.
This discussion took place during the Nationwide
radio outside broadcast on Friday, October 17, 2014.
Following this initiative, the Think Tank spearheaded
the establishment of a Chik-V Hotline operational
through the Poison Information Network, College of
Health Sciences in association with Nationwide News
Network.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community service is provided by students, individual
members of staff, academic units and administrative
units. Projects range from long-standing and perennial
outreach initiatives to bring cheer and caring to the
less privileged, to those involving donation or transfer
of professional skills. Below are highlights of campus
wide community service projects pursued during the
reporting period.
Page 76
University of Technology, Jamaica
• ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT
CONT’D