By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
ADVANCING the Memorandum of Understanding signed in January, officials from the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Sciences Institute and the Ocean University of China yesterday formally signed an agreement of co-operation that will foster the academic links and the development of the north Andros institution.
Prime Minister Perry Christie called the deal “historic”, adding that strength of the Chinese delegation that travelled to the Bahamas this week to finalise the deal illustrates the importance the country placed on assisting the Bahamas as it develops its agricultural resources.
Mr Christie said that in addition to touring BAMSI’s campus and infrastructure, the OUC delegation engaged in “important collaborative discussions” with the academic arm of BAMSI.
Highlighted in yesterday’s agreement was the indication that beginning in the 2016-2017 academic school year, OUC will be accepting students from BAMSI into its graduate courses and potential scholarships.
“The discussions with the executive director, farm director and the marine director along with faculty members from both the agriculture and marine sciences identified specific areas of collaboration on resources as well as faculty and student exchanges.”
According to Mr Christie, aquaculture, mariculture, food processing, the procurement of seaweed to be used as fertiliser and the commercial development of BAMSI were the disciplines identified in those discussions.
He added that the deal will, in time, strengthen not only the Bahamas’ marine and agriculture products, but will develop a sustainable food industry locally.
Representing BAMSI was Godfrey Eneas, its president, and the OCU was represented by its president Professor Yu Zhigang.
OCU has a current enrolment of 25,000 students, with 8,000 enrolled in either of the graduate studies.
Last year BAMSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science on education, research, and training.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago
what's happened to the other buildings at BAMSI? The ones that didn't burn? They should be completed and the keys handed over by now. Why hasn't that happened, because the HIGH powers already got their bribe/extortion money, they don't care if the buildings ever get finished. In fact, if they don't finish they can extort more through inflated rent contracts
I wonder if the US Navy base on Andros has any concerns about this. Weird, Cuba opens, is the Bahamas about to be closed?
Emac 9 years, 3 months ago
Well all I can say is it is time to learn Mandarin if you have any hopes of working anywhere in the Bahamas. I for one have one in and one foot out of this country that I love so much.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago
Just finished speaking to my friend about the exact thing. Can no longer look internally for a source of income, Perry sold the country. I hope he and Brave Davis enjoy their minute on top of the pile of gold.
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 3 months ago
Now that the PLP and China are teamed up to steal Bahamar from Izzie we can all bet the only foreign investment we'll be getting for the next 30 years is Chinese.....
We are screwed..... Royally and completely.....
Zags 9 years, 3 months ago
Oh no! Enough already! Please: NO MORE!
sheeprunner12 9 years, 3 months ago
Kiss all of our sharks, sea urchins, lobsters, conchs, sea cucumbers etc goodbye ............ why Perry???
Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago
We certainly need assistance in agriculture but what about protecting our pristine environment? Can we be certain that the agricultural practices the Chinese will introduce will have all the necessary checks and balances applied to them. What about animal rights; are the livestock farming practices they introduce going to be low intensity, humane and environmentally friendly or will they be massive factory farming projects that maximize profit by crowding the animals and birds in small cages, with massive output of animal feces being dumped in slurry ponds that will leach into Andros' unblemished freshwater lens??
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago
How in Gods name does this support the food security objective? The idea was to get BAHAMIANS into farming, NOT Chinese. You're handing over our food security plans to a foreign power??? This Godfrey Eneas is unimpressive to the extreme
banker 9 years, 3 months ago
The PLPeons are now all lining up behind the Chinese. You know, maybe they think that the Bahamas is screwed with the opening of Cuba, and America and her tourists won't save them, so they are aligning themselves with the Iron Rice Bowl tactics. There een no more money to tief from bled-out Bahamians, so they can siphon off money from Chinese loans, and to hell with the country and its very Sino future.
Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago
Is this the CHINAFICATION of The Bahamas???
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