The University of the West Indies in collaboration with the University of Alberta, UoA, hosted a socio-economic forum from February 21 to 22 at the Social Sciences Faculty Lounge. This forum focused on seven themes: international trade; development and growth; health economics; teaching and learning in economics; the energy sector; energy economics; and Sir Arthur Lewis. Some of the papers presented included: Fragile states and emerging economies: implications for human development/ security; Resource curse, feeding frenzy and the economic crimes in a small petroleum rich economy; The political economy of HIV/AIDS petroleum rich economy; The political economy of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean; The effects of hurricane Katrina and hurricane Ivan on wholesale gasoline prices in the US; and Dutch disease and de-agriculturalization of a small, petroleum-rich economy: empirical evidence from Trinidad and Tobago to name a few.

The joint UWI/UoA socio-economic forum was part of ongoing collaboration between the two universities which signed an MOU in 2003. “Remapping the Americas: Globalization, Regionalization and the FTAA” conference which took place from October 19 to 21, 2005 in Port of Spain served as the first in a series of collaborative ventures between UWI and UoA. This was followed by a team visit comprised of UWI faculty and staff to the UoA from September 12 to 15, 2006. During this visit, Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie, former campus principal, UWI, and Dr. Indira Samarasekera, president, UoA, signed the appendix to the student exchange agreement which allowed for the activation of the movement of students between the St. Augustine campus and Alberta. Plans for the hosting of the socio-economic forum by the UWI St. Augustine campus were also discussed during this visit.