Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has expressed an interest in an educational collaboration between universities in Africa and T&T.
Speaking during the Emancipation celebrations in Port of Spain on Tuesday, Dr Rowley marked the visit of Ashanti King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as a turning point in reconnecting Africa and T&T through embracing a shared heritage.
He said he would like to see the two nations foster collaboration between universities in Africa and T&T, as both regions focus on advancing technologies and other disciplines in the 21st century.
He emphasised the importance of understanding and acknowledging African heritage while embracing the potential for future collaboration and exchange.
Rowley said there is hope that the king’s visit was symbolic and would impact citizens of African descent and the younger generation who have not had the opportunity to witness the prominence of African culture before.
“Today is indeed significant!
“It is significant to our citizens of African descent, and, particularly, to our younger generation, many of whom are witnessing and discovering, for the first time, the presence, stature and majesty of African royalty in our midst.
“Hopefully, from today, the word ‘their’ which implies something foreign, other, or of distant ownership, will be changed and we will begin to share and embrace every aspect of both our lives as ‘ours’ – meaning that on both sides of the Atlantic, African people will see the ‘one-ness’ that we carry within us.
“Then, we will be separated only by the narrowing waters of the Atlantic.”