The Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS) in collaboration with the Government of Grenada, St. George’s University Grenada, The University of the West Indies and, the University of the Southern Caribbean, presented its 16th General Meeting and Biennial Annual Conference at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort, Grande Anse, 11th -13th October, 2008. The theme of the conference was ‘Science and Technology: Vehicles for Sustainable Development’.

As the conference commences its 21st Anniversary celebration for the Academy, the executive and membership have put together an impressive program of events which is intended to promote science and technology in the region. Thus on the two days leading into the conference, CAS in collaboration with the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and the Organization of American States (OAS) will host a Science Education Workshop on ‘Interactive Science Based Education (ISBE) Methods for Primary School Teachers’ for 40 science teachers from the Caribbean region on the 9 - 10th October, 2008. A panel discussion entitled ‘what every man and every woman ought to know about cancer is carded on the 9th October, 2008. .The final event will be a one day discussion by Heads of the Tertiary level institutions from across the region. Some of the participating institutions are the University of the Southern Caribbean, St George's, University, Grenada, University of Guyana of Guyana, Universite des Antilles, Guadeloupe and Ross Medical School, Dominica

Professor of Psychology, Ewart A.C. Thomas of Stanford University will be one of the feature presenters at the conference and will speak on the ‘Mathematical Studies of English/Creole Language’. As far back as the 19th century when the Trinidadian scholar, J.J. Thomas (1869), wrote The Theory and Practice of Creole Grammar, interest in the ‘rules’ or grammars of the different language varieties on the Creole-English continuum and in the ‘rules’ or mechanisms of interaction among varieties has been driven by a range of political, cultural, psychological and pragmatic factors, as well as by scientific imperatives. Implicational scaling has been one of the most productive approaches to the study of language variation ever since its initial application by David DeCamp (1971) to the Jamaican Creole continuum (as documented in a recent comprehensive chapter by John Rickford, 2004). This model predicts a surprising regularity relating the number, An, of observable language varieties to the number, n, of linguistic variables characterizing a language variety, namely, An = n + 1.

Other speakers at the conference are Dr. Rinia Veldhuizen-Doelahasori, Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Professor Karl Theodore, Health Economics Institute, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. This conference will bring together some world renowned thinkers, researchers and problem solvers in many disciplines. The results can therefore be expected to impact regionally and internationally.

In the lead up to the conference, CAS in collaboration with the the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) will host a Science Education Workshop on Interactive Science Base Education (ISBE) Methods for Primary School Teachers on the 9 - 10th October, 2008 at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort, Grand Anse, Grenada. This Science Education Workshop will focus on practical solutions to improve the science education programs. Training of Trainers in Interactive Science Base Education (ISBE) is also to be part of the objectives. The main views from the recently concluded policy workshop in Jamaica on “Transforming CARICOM Primary School Science Education” indicated that such a training workshop was essential. The objectives of this workshop are to: (1) expose teachers to science curriculum development; (2) expose teachers to some sustainable development issues; (3) identify some local issues that primary school teachers face in sustainable development activities and teaching of ISBE methodologies; and (4) focus on the role of teachers in influencing sustainable development in science education. The course coordiantor is Dr. Dorian Barrow,Faculty of Humanities and Education, UWI, St. Augustine. Other instructors are Dr. Pilar, Chile, Dr. Thoedore Lewis and Ms. Juliana Alexander, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Uwi, St. Augustine, nad Dr. Andrew Downes, UWI, Cave-Hill, Barbados. Educators are expected to attend from Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and other Caribbean islands. Ministries of Education in the Caribbean are encouraged to send their teachers to this very import workshop.

CAS in collaboration with the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy will recognize a young scientist at its conference. A prize (CAS/TWAS) worth $2,000 US will be presented to a scientist who is no older than 40 years and holds at least a Master’s degree, with a good record of research publication in internationally recognized journals and is a national of developing country and working and living in the country. A committee of eminent scientists has selected the prize winner who will make a presentation on the area of research at the conference.

CAS is an independent, non-governmental body with the primary objective of providing a forum for interchange among scientists on important issues related to the application of science and technology to development. Additionally, CAS serves as a source of advice to regional, governmental and non-governmental organizations in scientific and technology matters.

For registration at the conference can be done by mail, fax or e-mail. E-mail to:

trevor.alleyne@gmail.com OR wamello@yahoo.com at-868-645-2640-9, ext; 4643

Fax: 1-868-662-1873. Also, check CAS website http://www.caswi.org for updates

Submitted by Dr. Neela Badrie, PRO of CAS