The Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology and Innovation (CADSTI) was launched on September 30, 2008 in Port of Spain by the Honorable F. Jeffrey, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education of Trinidad and Tobago. At that time the organization was called the Caribbean Diaspora Association. Among those present at the launching, organized by CARISCIENCE jointly with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education were Prof.
Walter Erdelen (Assistant Director General for Natural Science, UNESCO), Mr. Navin Chandarpal, (Adviser to His Excellency, Bharrat agdeo, President of Guyana), Dr. Arnoldo Ventura (Adviser to Prime Minister of Jamaica and Mr. E. Leopold Edwards (Secretary, National Coalition on Caribbean Airs Inc).
In his Keynote Address, The Honorable F. Jeffrey lauded this effort to galvanize the remendous resources of the Diaspora in a structured manner so that it can play a major role in Caribbean integration and development.
Prof. Cardinal Warde, professor of electrical engineering at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology was installed as the President. Among the other officers installed were Prof. Harold Ramkissoon – Vice President and Ambassador at Large, Dr. Basil Burke – Vice President, USA, Prof. Baldwin Mootoo – Vice President, Caribbean, Dr. Brian Tom – ice President, U.K., Prof. Suresh Narine – Vice President, Canada, Mr. Ravi Ramkissoon ‐ Information and Communication Officer and Prof. John Paul Clarke – Secretary/Treasurer.
Among the objectives of CADSTI are to:
- Connect with and catalogue key elements of the Caribbean Diaspora throughout the world.
- Identify the most critical needs of the region in collaboration with government and business leaders, national research councils and other experts throughout the region, and establish appropriate working groups to address these needs.
- Inform government, business and societal leaders of the results and broader societal implications of world quality research, particularly in areas of regional importance, which may currently be unfunded or funded at a sub‐critical level.
- Mobilize global financial resources in support of the mission and objectives of the science and technology organizations of the region.
- Foster and support the training and development of future leaders through international fellowships, through the interchange of scientific information, and through strategic cooperation between the universities and centers of excellence in the region and those in foreign countries.
- Identify and support activities designed to increase the participation of regional innovators and entrepreneurs in science and technology, and to encourage joint venture research, development and commercial spin‐offs between Caribbean based colleagues and those in the Diaspora.
Source: Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology and Innovation (CADSTI)).