Science, tech thrust a must

Barbados is placing a far-reaching emphasis on science, innovation and technology which, if undertaken efficiently with multiple voices having a say in its expansion, the economic and social benefits can be staggering.

Recently, the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology, led by Senator Jonathan Reid, signed an important memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canada’s University of Waterloo, a highly-respected school in Ontario with a strong history in engineering and the sciences.

Waterloo and Barbados may turn out to be worthy partners.

For one thing, Barbados is positioning itself to be “a world-class hub” for topnotch scientific research.

For another, Waterloo, with its well-known School of Engineering, has a sound reputation for developing enterprising and creative engineers.

Handsome gift

Next, Waterloo recently received a handsome gift of CAN$20 million from a rich Bajan-Canadian, Frank Baylis, and his family’s philanthropic organisation, the Gloria Baylis Foundation. The donation is to enhance the school’s involvement in technology and other things. Interestingly, Frank Baylis and his wife are graduates of Waterloo University.

An expanded and successful thrust by Barbados into science and technology would boost our human resources pool by attracting more students to the classrooms of the University of the West Indies (UWI) at Cave Hill. It would make us ready for future growth.

As Senator Reid said: “We are in it for the long haul”, meaning for deep research and discovery.

The Gloria Baylis Foundation is named after a pioneering Bajan immigrant in Canada whose maiden name was Gloria Clarke. She was born and grew up Bridgetown, attended Queen’s College, was trained as a nurse in the United Kingdom, but spent most of her life in Canada. There she worked in the health field, raising her family alongside her British husband Frank Baylis.

The couple had three children, one of whom was Frank Baylis Jr, who today is regarded as a successful business executive, a politician who once sat in Canada’s House of Commons in Ottawa and who last year sought the leadership of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party.

He was hoping to succeed Justin Trudeau as the nation’s prime minister but was unsuccessful.

When Frank Baylis’ mum was not working at her chosen profession in the health care field and raising her family, she was a strongwilled civil rights advocate, battling racial discrimination in Canada.

She also did some other significant things, including launching a successful private firm, Baylis Medical Company, importing and distributing medical devices. She made Canadian history by successfully suing a major corporation for racial discrimination in employment, alleging that it did not hire her for a job because of her colour.

The court agreed with her and the Bajan became the first person in Canada to win such a case.

When the Baylis Medical Company was sold in 2021, it fetched more than US$1 billion and Frank Baylis, its long-term top executive and chairman, was said to be worth more than US$100 million.

Require more funds

Barbados’ deep dive into science and technology with Waterloo as an MOU partner, and UWI and its science and technology faculty as dependable producers of well-trained scientists, are positioned to do even more.

However, that is going to require more funds from the Mottley administration.

“Barbados is on the right path with its plan to expand its efforts in science and technology,” said Professor Cardinal Ward, head of the Caribbean Science Foundation and a top academic at the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“An essential component, though, is the strengthening of its faculty, laboratories and facilities at Cave Hill so Barbados can produce more scientists and teachers with master’s and doctorates.”

That should become an urgent priority. It would help make us ready for the emergence of the proposed research and innovation hub.

Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology Senator Jonathan Reid

(right) and professor of biology and associate dean, discovery innovation mobilisation at Waterloo Todd Holyoak, signing the MOU on May 8. (FP)

The late Gloria Baylis was born and grew up in Barbados but spent most of her life in Canada.

(FP)

Bajan-Canadian

Baylis.

(FP)

Frank