The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) has inherited a rich legacy bestowed upon it by the global and regional achievements of its namesake.  Sir Arthur was an intellectual giant with extraordinary foresight whose theories have been adapted to develop communities and countries throughout the world.  His arguments have all formed a constant theme that are still the core of many practical and workable development theories, which are still relevant to Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and Less Developed Countries (LDCs).

In extending the legacy, the College wishes to establish an institute of research and innovation which shall work with communities in the field to create new knowledge and innovation for the sustainable, economic, and social development of Saint Lucia. The institute will be called the Vaughan A. Lewis Institute for Research and Innovation (VALIRI) and will be a fully functioning self-financing organization which will be an avenue for academic and practical excellence for faculty, students and other researchers, a first call for assistance from communities which include the private and public sectors.

There are a number of reasons for developing the research capacity at SALCC.  As the sole national tertiary institution, the College is required to anticipate and respond to the needs of the country.  In order to achieve this obligation, the College must begin to view research as a fundamental aspect of its operations and service to the community and country. This research will be help foster an ethos that is Saint Lucian in nature. The goals of the research institute include:

• Working with SALCC to develop applied research for dissemination;
• Facilitating the dissemination of research as appropriate;
• Sponsoring seminars, webinars that are not an integral aspect of College offerings;
• Hosting and organizing conferences;
• Organizing relevant services to community groups and organizations as appropriate;
• Seeking national and international funding for required research areas;
• Increasing collaborative linkages with SALCC and other organizations;
• Attracting world class researchers.

The goals of VALIRI will be achieved by working closely with the Saint Lucian community to develop new knowledge from indigenous and traditional sources and applying them innovatively to meet our current challenges.  Establishing VALIRI will meet SALCC’s strategic priorities and provide much needed indigenous empirical evidence for informed and effective decision making.

In order to respond as a national tertiary institution, the College must equip staff and, students with the appropriate research capacity.  VALIRI can support SALCC in meeting these challenges by encouraging the internal constituents to reach outside of the College to the community and make a substantial difference in enabling an innovative environment.  Collaboratively, the Research and Innovation Institute and the College will work to participate in the identification of problems, and the development of effective and sustainable solutions.