In a dynamic move towards fostering innovation, hands-on marketing and engineering experience, the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech Jamaica) organised a highly anticipated sensitisation session for its Formula Student Racing club, UTech Racing on February 6 at the Papine campus.
The event drew significant attention from students across various faculties eager to delve into the exhilarating world of Formula Racing. Spearheaded by O’Neil Mason, Lecturer of Mechanical Engineering and Oneil Joseph, Head of the School of Engineering, they presented a defining moment in the university’s pursuit of academic and technological advancement. In his address to attendees, Oneil Mason described Formula Student as a unique opportunity, providing students with hands-on experience in designing and building race cars. This helps bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
New skills for students
With the School of Engineering and College of Business and Management actively participating in the initiative, UTech Racing has garnered widespread support and enthusiasm; with UTech Jamaica’s President, Dr Kevin Brown remarking that Formula Student has the potential to “boil over into a major event.” At the heart of the Formula Student Racing Project lies a commitment to equipping students with essential skills in project management, interdisciplinary collaboration, fabrication and manufacturing experience. Moreover, the establishment of the racing club is poised to benefit not only the students but also the university by fostering academic excellence, boosting institutional morale elevating the University of Technology’s standing on a global stage and attracting recognition worldwide.
Future of Formula Student
When attendees were asked about their visions for the club, many expressed similar sentiments, “What I’m looking forward to is the ability to apply what I’ve been learning for the past three years, to put it into something applicable and usable, that I can see and feel,” stated Dujain Jordan, a student of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.
The successful first sensitisation session has set the stage for an exciting journey. As UTech Jamaica gears up to make its mark on the global stage of Formula Student racing, the official launch of the club is scheduled for February 29. With a passionate team of students and faculty advisors at the helm, the university is poised to unleash a new era of innovation, collaboration, and success in the exhilarating world of motorsport engineering.
Reported by Tori-Ann Boothe