The University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica was the site of an exciting, well-planned, well-attended technical session on 11 March 2024, organized by IEEE Jamaica Section, IEEE Communication Society, IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Women in Engineering, and IEEE Life Member Affinity Group.
Over 100 participants including, college undergrad and graduate students, university professors from the University of Technology, Jamaica, University of the West Indies, Caribbean Maritime University, and Heart Institute of the Caribbean. The speakers also included University of Technology President Dr Kevin Brown, and the IEEE Jamaica Section Chair, Engr. Christopher Udeagha, P.E.
The guest speaker was His Excellency the High Commissioner of India to Jamaica, His Excellency, Ambassador Masakui Rungsung. He spoke on the topic titled, “Leadership Skills and Scholarship Opportunities in India for Jamaican Citizens.”
At the end of his speech, many questions were asked, and the questions were also addressed accordingly. The session created opportunities for the attendees to know the big 100% funding scholarship opportunities in India for Jamaican citizens and in other Caribbean countries. This technical session is done monthly which creates an opportunity for our REBATE from MGA. IEEE Jamaica Section, which includes the IEEE Communication Society, IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Women in Engineering, and IEEE Life Member Affinity Group must keep about 5 or 6 technical sessions every year to be eligible for rebates.
Given the above, we always allow our societies and affinity group chairs to invite speakers from industries, government agencies, and diplomatic officers to make presentations to us. These presentations provide us with the opportunities to recruit new members thereby increasing our memberships.
In addition, we have 3 student branches in Jamaica, which include the University of Technology, the University of the West Indies, and the Caribbean Maritime University. These students’ branches are actively participating in IEEE Southeast con Students Competitions, such as hardware robotics competitions, technical papers, networking, Hackathon, Engineering Ethics competitions, etc.
The island country of Jamaica, located in the Caribbean Sea, is often described as a “country of sun and water” due to its tropical climate, abundant sunshine, and beautiful coastal areas. Locals and tourists are drawn to Jamaica’s breathtaking landscapes, which range from pristine beaches to lush mountains.
In addition to its captivating beauty, Jamaica, like many other countries, is susceptible to various natural calamities due to its geographical location and topography. It faces challenges related to hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding and landslides, volcanic activity, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.
To address these natural calamities, Jamaica has established disaster management and response mechanisms. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) plays a crucial role in coordinating disaster response efforts, providing early warnings, and implementing preparedness measures. Additionally, public awareness campaigns aim to educate the population on how to respond to various disasters and reduce their vulnerability.
In this setting, an invitation to establish IEEE MOVE-Jamaica under the IEEE MOVE international program was enthusiastically received. IEEE MOVE-Jamaica under the MOVE international program will be our next technical session.