Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Rt Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, in collaboration with the High Commission of St. Kitts and Nevis to Canada, held a high-level virtual meeting with the recently appointed Chancellor of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, Dr. Rustum Southwell to discuss development initiatives designed to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and Dalhousie University.
Among the areas of discussion were:
the need to refine our strategy on benefiting from the Blue Economy through the Ocean’s School Initiative,
cooperation in health care,
pairing youth groups from St. Kitts and Nevis with counterparts in Canada
youth entrepreneurship using the model of the Black Business Initiative (BBI) in Nova Scotia,
agricultural development with a sharp focus on niche production and marketing, and the
establishment of a sustainable business hub using the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Park as an empowerment zone for manufacturing and exporting world class products using science and technological innovation to enable St. Kitts and Nevis to achieve its goal of becoming a Sustainable Island State.
Dr. Southwell, a distinguished son of the soil and offspring of National Hero, the Rt. Excellent Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell, encouraged policymakers to focus on emerging industries such as manufacturing battery packs for instruments in the health, automobile and renewable industries that will enable us to enhance our profile in international trade. Training our youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an integral part of the strategy to build capacity to achieve our goals.
Dalhousie University is perfectly positioned to strengthen its partnership with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in breathing life into its ambitious goal of becoming the first sustainable small island state.
Dr. Douglas indicated that the Ministry, through the High Commission for St. Kitts and Nevis in Ottawa would continue its dialogue with strategic partners in the diaspora to aid in the growth and development of St. Kitts and Nevis.