The Professions, Universities and the Civil Service; Mutual Interaction, 1975

through the trilogy. It showed how far existing skills could, in fact, go towards meeting needs provided that governments listened to recommendations from universities and professions and then came in with quite modest support.

It was important to note that professional centres themselves were primarily developing through the support given by the less wealthy professions. The Jamaican Government itself now seemed to be showing readiness to initiate regular discussions between the government and the professions through the local centre.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTRES After the Director had provided details of such bodies outside the Caribbean area, the Chairman invited the Professional Centre representatives present to describe their problems and achievements.

Mr Murray said that the Trinidad Centre hoped soon to become a legal entity and to start on its building programme. Meanwhile, it was offering secretarial services to the professions, some of which would have office space in the building. Individual professional men were asking to be allowed to rent premises. Thus, the Centre faced no immediate financial problems. On the project front, the professional group was working towards an integrated contribution to the community. Dentists and doctors were now voluntarily helping with the health of school children while the engineers had offered their services to government in advising on community projects. There had also been a series of technical lectures, the most successful of which had dealt with town planning and its effect on land use and prices. The Centre was also urging its members to become involved in the drafting of legislation for Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr Searwar explained that the Professional Guild of Guyana had come into being in 1973 and had just obtained a lease of land from Government. A building appeal was now being launched. Shortly, a request for funds would come to the Foundation. Meanwhile, the guild was helping dentists and veterinarians to form their own bodies. The engineers were to do local work on a voluntary basis but there had been less success in persuading doctors and dentists to do likewise. Meanwhile, more co-operation between the professions was building up and other aims would be to produce greater integration on ethics, building codes and community health care throughout the Caribbean.

After outlining some of the work done by the Professional Centre of Singapore Mr Leong said that the time had come for a review of the work of the Centres against a background of their original objectives. Professional Centres clearly had some contribution to make in a rapidly changing Commonwealth.

They should address themselves to such matters as the social responsibilities Page tbirtji-two