Sun | Apr 2, 2023

UWI, CHEC ink deal for civil engineering lab

Published:Tuesday | January 31, 2023 | 3:28 PM
His Excellency Chen Daojiang (left), Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Jamaica, looks on as Professor Dale Webber, Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal, The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus, put his signature to a cooperation agreement during a signing ceremony for a Collaborative Material Testing laboratory between the UWI and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC). The ceremony was held at the UWI, Mona on January 31, 2023. – Ian Allen photo.

Engineering students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Western Jamaica campus will soon benefit from the construction of a Civil Engineering Laboratory. 

The lab, which will be built by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), will be utilised for material testing for the duration of the Montego Bay Road Perimeter Road Project.

It will also serve as a training facility for engineering students of UWI and its academic staff. 

Speaking at the cooperation agreement signing ceremony at the UWI Mona on Tuesday, Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Dale Webber said the lab will aid in the growth of the western campus as it will now be able to facilitate a niche. 

“We are not trying to replicate Mona in the West, we want the west to grow its own niche; so construction engineering, construction management and engineering... whether it's civil, construction… that’s gonna be part of the niche that grows our western Jamaica campus,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica, Chen Daojiang, said the partnership between UWI and CHEC highlights Chinese businesses’ sense of responsibility for Jamaica and synchronises with the Holness administration's mission of building more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools in the country.

“China and Jamaica are both developing countries, both the Chinese government and Chinese companies would love to offer support to Jamaica in re-igniting a nation for greatness,” he said. 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has committed to building six STEM schools in Jamaica. 

- Sashana Small 

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