Student Researchers and Entrepreneurs take centre stage at UWI’s Inaugural Undergraduate Student Conference

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Tuesday, September 15, 2026 — With the countdown ticking and less than two weeks to go, anticipation is building as student entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators prepare to ignite conversations and unleash bold ideas alongside peers and regional leaders at The University of the West Indies’ (The UWI) inaugural International Undergraduate Student Leadership Conference and Entrepreneurship Exhibition (IUSLCEE). Guided by the theme “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders Toward 2050: Imagining Roles, Rights, Responsibilities and Relationships,” this trailblazing event, taking place from September 23-25, promises to be a vibrant stage where undergraduates can boldly reimagine their influence on the future.

Delegates from the Caribbean, North America and Africa will gather for this hybrid event at The UWI Regional Headquarters in Jamaica. Presenters represent a lively blend of institutions, from The UWI and the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) to the University of Winnipeg and the North-West University, setting the stage for a truly global exchange of ideas. Undergraduate students will showcase their research, while 14 dynamic young entrepreneurs will step into the spotlight and pitch their ventures to an audience of delegates, mentors, and industry leaders.

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Undergraduate Studies and Conference Chair, Professor Canute Thompson said, “We believe that undergraduate education should emphasise the leadership responsibility that students are expected to assume both within the academy and after graduation.  Equally important is highlighting that a university education is not so much preparation for jobs created by others but empowerment to create jobs.  Both leadership preparation and empowerment for job creation will benefit from early engagement in research, which lays the foundation for graduate research and positions graduates to take advantage of, and create, business opportunities. These bright and innovative minds have much to offer now, and we believe that seating them at the table with industry experts is exactly what is needed to sharpen their skills and to provide a valuable mechanism to capture from them today’s ideas that so often hold tomorrow’s solutions.”

The two-day conference kicks off with a keynote from the Honourable Delano Seiveright, Minister of State in Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, addressing “The Role of Entrepreneurship: Future-proofing the Region” following opening remarks from The UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and greetings from Dr Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.

The schedule continues with engaging panel discussions. On Day One, a dynamic group of young business owners—including Dr. Shaun Nevins of Intuicia Technology Limited, Jodi Ann Buckle of Jodian CocoT Restaurant, Kerrie-Ann Grey of Tower Farms, Quinn Weekes of Infolytics, and Tyrique Wilson of Carringtons Rum Cream, Barbados—will take the stage for the Young Entrepreneurs Fireside Chat, sharing honest stories of building businesses from the ground up. Day Two features a headline panel, “The Entrepreneurial Journey: What I wish someone had told me!” with The UWI Chancellor, Dr. The Most Honourable Dodridge D. Miller and business leaders Benjamin Niles, Gawaine Marshall, and Shafia London, offering an unfiltered look at the realities, risks, and rewards of entrepreneurship. The day wraps up with The Principals’ Fireside Chat, where all five UWI Campus Principals will lead an inspiring discussion on how the university is shaping tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.

Student presenters will delve into a wide range of thought-provoking topics, from education as a driver of rights and equity in the Caribbean to breaking down financial barriers to green entrepreneurship. Other presentations will propose a Caribbean framework for human-centred AI in justice, explore leadership and national development in the Global South, and investigate cutting-edge brain imaging techniques and the evolving relationship between humans and AI in leadership.

Top presenters are competing for 16 coveted challenge trophies and awards, including the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence, the Chancellor’s Award for Established Entrepreneurship, the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Emerging Entrepreneurship, Best Research Paper, Best Established Venture, and Most Outstanding Exhibition.

Registration for IUSLCEE is still open, with in-person and virtual passes available and special rates for UWI students. Limited in-person seats are priced at US $80 (Full Conference Access) or US$30 (Day Pass) for UWI Students and US$140 (Full Conference Access) and US$60 (Day Pass) for Non-UWI Students and other attendees. Virtual attendance costs US$30 (Full Conference Access) and US$20 (Day Pass) for UWI Students and US$90 (Full Conference Access) and US$50 (Day Pass) for non-UWI students and other attendees. To register, interested persons can visit bit.ly/43FiYSX or contact the Conference Secretariat at obusconferenceandexpo@uwi.edu or 876-970-0244.