UWI welcomes three professors from India

(Trinidad Express) The University of the West Indies (UWI) will be the beneficiary of three new chairs of learning to be located at the St Augustine campus.

At the expense of the Indian government, three professors in Hindi language, Indian history and Ayurvedic medicine medicine will be attached to the relevant faculties.

They are on a government-to-government contract and will begin classes in these subjects to graduate and post-graduate students.

Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra hosted a special party at his home in Federation Park last Friday to welcome the professors and other stakeholders involved in the project.

Mishra said the three new chairs will bring added value to the relationship between India and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in the fields of education, medicine and languages.

“This initiative is a result of the recent visit to India by the Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar,” said Mishra.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan has said he proposes to take a note to Cabinet for the possible amendment to the Medical Board Act to give the green light to the introduction of Ayurvedic medical practice.

“Conventional medicine alone cannot solve all our medical problems. To introduce alternative medicine in the Trinidad will require some changes to existing legislation,” Khan said.

UWI principal Prof Clement Sankat said, “During my visit to India I had a first-hand experience of the importance of Ayurvedic medicine, and I believe it could be easily practised in Trinidad… It is a system of medicine which is part of the complementary alternative medicine.”

Present at the meeting were Chandradat Singh, this country’s High Commissioner to India, as well as other specialists in the fields of medicine, language studies and history.