UNESCO sponsors Photovoltaic Project

The Division of Technical and Vocational Education of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College has commissioned a UNESCO sponsored Photovoltaic Project.{{more}}

The brainchild of Maurice John, the project, which was launched last Friday, February 22, 2008, at the college grounds, served as research for John’s thesis for his Master’s degree in Building Services Engineering.

Director of the Community College Dr Veronica Marks, while addressing the gathering, commended John for his “contextually and geographically” relevant choice of research, and for following through on his research findings to operationalize the project and “for transferring theory into practice”.

Marks noted that both lecturers and students enrolled in the electricity programme “will gain valuable firsthand experience in the use of one of the four major types of solar energy technologies, photovoltaic systems. She said that it will open up a completely new world for the college and it is the “beginning of a new era for the Division of Technical and Vocational Education. The “project and its possibilities are too important for us not to document what we do and what our findings are”, she further said.

Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications Jerrol Thompson, who delivered the feature address, commended the Technical and Vocational Division for being at the forefront and “embracing this new solar technology and the building of new capacity.

“St Vincent and the Grenadines is a perfect renewal energy resource destination, and we have to reduce our dependences on crude oil,” he said.

Also addressing the gathering was Minister of Education Girlyn Miguel, who is the chairperson of the UNESCO National Commission. She noted that the project implemented by the College is one of several administered by the UNESCO national secretariat. Also present was La Fleur John, Secretary General, UNESCO National Commission, and Hon Mike Browne, St Vincent and the Grenadines representative on the International UNESCO board, who gave brief remarks.(VM)