Ugandan minister tours Cariri’s world-class labs

The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri) hosted a delegation from Uganda, headed by that country’s Minister of Education, Jessica Alupo. The August 6 familiarisation visit to the institute’s campus headquarters in St Augustine included a tour of the centre’s internationally-accredited testing laboratories and other facilities.

The minister was accompanied by permanent secretary Francis Lubanga, and Prof Charles Kwesiga, executive director of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) and second vice-president of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) and Audrine Bakarobwa. Also present was Blair Ferguson, executive director of the San Fernando-based Kenson School of Production Technology, where several Ugandan students are currently pursuing a course in oil and gas production.

Alupo and her team gained an appreciation of the scope of Cariri’s operations, and how these serve the private and public sectors, including SMEs and large industries. Cariri provides testing, consulting, research and development, covering a range of areas from industrial materials testing and environmental services to bio-technology/food technology, microbiology, analytical chemistry and energy-based services, including testing of petroleum and natural gas. Of particular interest to the visitors was Cariri’s quality system, as well as its organic chemistry and petroleum laboratories.