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About the Event
The AIIC Launch Event on 13 December 2025 celebrates the official opening of the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre (AIIC), UWI, St Augustine at the Radisson Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The launch brings together ministers, international partners, private sector leaders, researchers, and innovators to chart a collaborative path for AI in the Caribbean.
The programme features a high-level launch ceremony, keynote address, memorandum of understanding (MOU) signings, and the “AI for All” conference, followed by an open-source AI hackathon and networking reception. Together, these activities aim to foster partnerships, explore responsible AI governance, and showcase opportunities for inclusive innovation across the region. This is a closed event, please contact us for more information.
Agenda – Saturday 13 December 2025
Launch Ceremony – Festival Ballroom, Ground Floor
| Time | Item | Speaker / Facilitator |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 am | Safety briefing | Radisson Safety Officer |
| 10:05 am | Welcome remarks | Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Campus Principal (STA), The UWI |
| 10:10 am | AI Innovation Centre (AIIC) Overview | Dr. Craig Ramlal, Executive Director, AIIC |
| 10:25 am | Remarks | Prof. the Hon. Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education & Skills Training, GoRTT |
| 10:35 am | Address |
Prof. Arokia Nathan, Chair, AIIC Scientific Council; & Bye Fellow & Tutor, Darwin College, Cambridge University, UK; & President Elect 2026, IEEE Electron Devices Society |
| 10:45 am | UN ODET Address |
Mr. Amandeep Singh-Gill,
Under-Secretary General; & Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations |
| 10:50 am |
MOU signing & musical interlude – AIIC & Development Bank of Resilient Prosperity – AIIC & CARICOM IMPACS |
Dr. Hignus “Gene” Leon, Executive Director, Development Bank of Resilient Prosperity Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director, CARICOM IMPACS |
| 11:10 am | Keynote Address | Mr. Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick McGovern Foundation |
| 11:40 am | Vote of thanks & closing remarks | Mr. Daniel Goitia, Technical Administrative Officer, AIIC |
| 11:45 am | Photos & live musical rendition | High-level attendees, key agency representatives & all attendees |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch – 360 Restaurant, Floor 14 | All attendees |
AI for All Conference – Festival Ballroom, Ground Floor
| Time | Item | Speaker / Facilitator |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 pm | Welcome Remarks | Mr Cris Seecharan, Chairman of the Board, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1:35 pm | TT Government's Vision for AI | Ms Rhoda Patiram, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration & Artificial Intelligence, GoRTT |
| 1:45 pm | Artificial Intelligence Frameworks and Academia Partnerships | Mr Arturo Muente, Sector Lead Specialist In Modernization of the State, Inter-American Development Bank |
|
Session 1 – AI Future, Partnerships & Challenges |
||
| 1:55 pm | Session Introduction | Mr. Nirad Tewarie, CEO, AMCHAM TT |
| 2:00 pm | Bridging the Intelligence Divide | Mrs. Sharifa Ali-Abdullah, Deputy Resident Representative for the UNDP in Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao and St. Martin. |
| 2:10 pm | Presentation on Caribbean AI Task Force Interim Report |
Mr. Kirk Sookram, Working Group Lead, Caribbean AI Task Force. & Deputy CEO, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2:35 pm | Building a Global Architecture for AI Governance: The UN’s Three Pillars of Cooperation | Ms. Rebekah Hayoung Woo, Policy Officer, Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations |
| 2:45 pm | Building Ethical and Responsible AI Systems | Ms. Diya Wynn, Principal of Responsible AI and Public Policy, Amazon Web Services |
| 2:55 pm | AI Future, Partnerships & Challenges Panel | Panelists: Mr. Sookram, Ms. Woo & Dr. Craig Ramlal |
| 3:25 pm | Intermission | |
|
Session 2 – AI 4 Society |
||
| 3:35 pm | Session Introduction | Ms. Celina Lee, CEO, Zindi |
| 3:40 pm | Reaching People: Insights from Anansi | Mr. Irwin Williams, Head of Software Development, iGovTT |
| 3:50 pm | AI 4 Smart Seas: Enabling Fisherfolk with Technology | Mr. Tariq Mohammed, ITU/CTU; Chair, Caribbean ICT Youth Network | 4:00 pm | TATT’s AI 4 ALL: Digital Inclusion | Ms. Sherry Mc Millan, Executive Officer Corporate Communications, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago |
| 4:10 pm | AI and Caribbean Intellectual Property Rights | Dr. Justin Koo, AIIC Advisory Board Member; |
| 4:20 pm | AI 4 Society: Future Looking Panel | Panelists: Mr. Williams, Dr. Koo, Ms. Mc Millan, Mr. Dalkan, Mr. Mohammed & Prof. Arvind Singh |
| Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks | ||
| 5:00 pm | Hackathon Prize Ceremony | Mr Quinn Weekes, CEO, InfoLytics; Ms Sarah Rudder-Chulhan, Associate Director, Digital & Client Experience, CIBC |
| 5:20 pm | Closing Remarks | Prof. Bheshem Ramlal, Chair, AIIC Advisory Board |
Open-Source AI Hackathon – San Fernando Room, Floor 1
| Time | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 pm | Registration | Hackathon Participants |
| 2:00 pm | Welcome | Dr. Craig Ramlal, Executive Director, AIIC |
| 2:05 pm | Hackathon Presentations & Judging | Judges: Chair: Ms Sarah Rudder-Chulhan, Associate Director, Digital & Client Experience, CIBC Ms Nathaly Carlina, COO/CFO, Data Axis Mr Quinn Weekes, CEO, InfoLytics Mr Bevan Agard, Project Officer, UNDP/MPAAI Open-Source Programme Office Mr Ravi Deonarine, Manager, AIIC |
Networking Reception – 360 Restaurant, Floor 14
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5:35 pm | Live Entertainment - Festival Ballroom, Ground Floor |
| 6:05 pm | Cocktail Hours - 360 Restaurant, Floor 14 |
| 7:55 pm | Closing & Thanks – Dr. Craig Ramlal |
Venue
Radisson Hotel Trinidad
The launch event will be held at the Radisson Hotel Trinidad, located at the corner of Wrightson Road and London Street in downtown Port of Spain. The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Paria, in the heart of the city’s financial and commercial district. It is approximately 25–30 minutes by car from Piarco International Airport (POS).
- Festival Ballroom (Ground Floor) – Main launch and conference sessions.
- San Fernando Room (Floor 1) – Hackathon and additional meeting space.
- 360 Restaurant (Floor 14) – Lunch and cocktail reception.
Parking
Upon entering the compound, you will first encounter a small parking area with approximately 40 spaces designated for VIP guests. These spots will be reserved by license plates. Continuing further into the premises and turning right, you will find the multi-storey car park, which consists of three levels and accommodates around 200 vehicles. On the day of the event, a car park attendant will be present to guide drivers to the general parking area for all other attendees.
Contact Us
AIIC Launch Coordination
Mr. Daniel Goitia
Technical Administrative Officer
Email: daniel.goitia@uwi.edu
Ms. Amanda Zilla
Digital Communications and Branding
Email: amanda.zilla@uwi.edu
AIIC General Contact
Website: www.aiicentre.com
Email: info@aiicentre.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +1 (868) 344-2344
Practical Information
- Location: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Atlantic Standard Time, GMT-4).
- Official language: English.
- Currency: Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TTD).
- Electrical standard: 110V / 60Hz, Type A/B plugs.
- Emergency services: Police 911 & 999; Fire 990; Medical 811.