UWI mourns Prof Persaud’s passing

Beckles expressed gratitude to Prof Persaud for his many contributions to the University and society at large. The release stated, “The University of the West Indies Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) and the rest of The University community extend deepest condolences to the family of Professor Bishnodat Vishnu Persaud on his passing.

“In tribute to Professor Persaud, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles expressed, ‘It is indeed sad when The University and the Caribbean lose such a brilliant mind like Professor Persaud’s.His visionary leadership sought to increase the capacity of our institution to address issues of sustainable development and even as our region continues to grapple with the global economic recession and other sustainability challenges, we hold a deep sense of gratitude for the foundation he created. I am confident that his legacy will live on.'

“Professor Persaud was the founding Director of the ISD, formerly The University of the West Indies Centre for the Environment and Development (UWICED) in 1992. He was The UWI’s first Chair of the Centre sponsored by the Alcan Bauxite Company in Jamaica and the first Professor for Sustainable Development. Before assuming office as Director of UWICED, Professor Persaud served as a Research Fellow and also Head of the Institute for Social and Economic Research (now the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies/SALISES ) at the Cave Hill Campus. He was made an Honorary Professor of The UWI when he left in 1996.”

Other accomplishments by Persaud included serving on the Commonwealth Secretariat as Director and Head of its Economic Affairs Division for ten years. Additionally, he served as member of the United Nations Secretary General’s High Level Committee on Development Policy; as member of the UN sub-committee which suggested “the classification of Least Developed States” and he was also “an advisor to the World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat on Small States.”

“Among his other career accomplishments include the authoring and co-authoring many journal articles, book chapters and technical reports about development and the environment and sitting on a number of governmental and inter- governmental commissions of enquiry. He also served as a Senior Associate of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery for many years

“Coordinator of the ISD, Dr David Smith, expressed his personal tribute noting that, ‘Professor Persaud brought to The UWI a new approach and new thinking to environment and development and was able to generate a great deal of interest in sustainable development research and formed strong linkages with NGOs and civil society practitioners in the field.

The Institute for Sustainable Development values highly the foundation he laid.’”