President George Maxwell Richards, a former principal and pro vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies, will address participants attending the IPI World Congress in Trinidad and Tobago this June, the International Press Institute (IPI) announced today.
A professor emeritus in chemical engineering at the University of the West Indies, Richards was sworn into office on 17 March 2003 for a five-year term, and re-elected for a second term on 17 March 2008. He is the fourth president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the first president of the republic who is not an attorney-at-law.
President Richards obtained a BSc and an MSc in chemical engineering at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and a PhD at the University of Cambridge (Pembroke).
He held a number of managerial posts at Shell Trinidad Ltd., from 1957 to 1965, before joining the University of the West Indies as a senior lecturer. In May 1985, he was appointed principal and pro vice-chancellor, a position he held until November 1996.
World-Class Speakers, Hot Topics
President Richards, who will speak at the Closing Ceremony of this year’s IPI World Congress, joins a stellar list of moderators, speakers and panelists who will lead participants in discussions on a wide range of topics including:
freedom of expression trends worldwide, how to cover corruption, the state of state-owned media, the use of government advertising to reward or punish news outlets, the impact of natural disasters on press freedom, the persistence of criminal defamation laws in the Caribbean, online media ethics, and new business models for the news industry.
Multiple special events, networking opportunities and a wealth of local cultural and social activities are also planned.
For more information about this year’s IPI World Congress and how you can participate please contact us.
Special Rates available until 1 May:
It only takes a few minutes to register for the IPI World Congress. Act fast to pay less!
Members: US$ 870
Non-Members: US$ 1100
Accompanying Persons: US$ 420
You can register here for post-congress tours as well as for sightseeing tours during the Congress.
