UTT honours Prof Emeritus Ken Julien

Phillip Julien, son of Prof Emeritus Kenneth Julien, said the naming of the UTT administration building after his father meant the inferred expectation of greatness associated with the professor’s name was now extended to the building, the administrators, the staff, and the students.

Speaking at the building dedication and honouring ceremony at UTT Tamana on Wednesday, Julien said his father, the founding executive chairman of UTT, had done extraordinary things for TT and inspired others to do so as well.

“In all of these stories from those he inspired, there’s one common denominator, that somewhere along their journeys, my father simply told these individuals either directly or through an action, intervention, or recommendation, that he believed in them.

“Because of their belief in the professor’s capabilities, they saw in themselves what he saw in them, that spirit, that spark, that bright light of greatness. That inspiration towards believing in oneself is what the naming of this building can represent for the students that enter these hallowed halls. For we are citizens of TT and our country’s reputation for doing the extraordinary precedes us.”

He said when a class of 60 pre-engineering students at UWI were asked what Pt Lisas was, and who Prof Julien was, only two knew of Pt Lisas, and none knew Dr Julien. He said when he recovered from his shock, he realised this could be an opportunity for the students to learn about Prof Julien, what he did, and the great strides TT has made.

“This institution and this named building are not only the reminder of the name of my father, who has done great things for this country. It is more of a symbol, a reminder of what our country and its people are capable of, and what these students attending here, or any other educational institution are capable of, now or in the future."

He invited those responsible for the education of UTT students to consider not only their aptitude for teaching, but also their attitude towards it.

“The single greatest honour you could bestow on my father is... to believe in the potential of the young people attending this institution, and to help them see their potential for themselves, for them to believe in their own greatness.”

Julien said in working with Kenesjay Systems Ltd, which was named after his father, he experienced daily the reminder of the high quality expected of him every day.

He commended his mother Patricia for her support and strength.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said Julien was an outstanding patriot who has made indelible contributions to Caribbean society.

“It is with profound gratitude and immense pride that the University of TT names the main administration building after a true luminary, Prof Kenneth S Julien, TC.

“Prof Julien has spent decades in the practice of academic and professional excellence, establishing himself as an indomitable figure in the fields of engineering, education and leadership. When we look at the industrial facilities of Point Lisas, or the offshore platforms gracing the waters of TT, it becomes evident that his contribution is indelibly ingrained in the history of TT.”

She said the ministry has introduced a newly minted national education policy which has a profound synergy with Julien's achievements and values.

Gadsby-Dolly said areas of convergence included excellence in education, innovation and research, inclusivity and access, and leadership and vision.

“In honouring Prof Kenneth Julien today, we not only celebrate his remarkable achievements but also reaffirm the ministry’s commitment to the principles and goals outlined in our National Education Policy 2023-2027, which strive to create the enabling environment to produce many more citizens of this calibre.

“May this ceremony inspire all of us to redouble our efforts in fulfilling the promises and aspirations of our TT, to plant trees under which future generations will find shade.”

UTT chairman and long-time friend of Julien, Prof Clement Imbert, reminisced about the years spent working with Julien, whom he met in 1964. He said Julien had chaired the Energy Co-ordinating Task Force, which led to natural gas being used instead of flared.

He said over the years Julien had been involved with Cariri, MIC, NESC and Eteck as well as being UTT’s founding executive chairman, among many other achievements.

“There is no aspect of industry, innovation, engineering education that Prof Julien has not influenced in this country over the years. I’ve known this gentleman for over 60 years and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him in many companies. He seemed to drag me along to companies where he was chairman.

"I’ve been with him since the inception at UTT in 2003. I couldn’t resist him sending me all over the world to assist in the relations we had with several companies and universities abroad.”

As part of the ceremony, a plaque and a portrait of Julien, commissioned from David Boothman, were unveiled in the main auditorium.

The ceremony featured several performances from UTT faculty and students, including the Academy of the Performing Arts choir, conducted by Dr Roger J Henry, Susan Mohip (Indian dance), Dr Mia Gormandy-Benjamin (pan) and Eunmi Choi (piano), Michael Cherrie (a monologue from Shakespeare's Othello), and Prashant Patasar and Rana Mohip (Indian classical music).