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NAEAP Honors Professor Kenneth Julien

NAEAP ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

On Tuesday 31st July, 2007, NAEAP held its dinner and awards ceremony at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya and honored Prof. Kenneth Julien.

Posted: August 03, 2007

Kenneth S. Julien, T.C., C.M.T., B.Sc (Hons.) E. E., Ph.D. (Energy Systems), Fellow I.E.E., Fellow I.E.E., C. Eng.

Professor Kenneth Julien, a professor emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad, chaired the Electrical and Computer and Engineering Department and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering during its formative years. Professor Julien became so distinguished in his field that he was awarded a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (F.I.E.E.E), of the United States of America and was made a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (C. Eng) of the United Kingdom.

Professor Julien has also been the Chairman of the National Energy Corporation and the National Gas Company in which capacities he provided the necessary leadership of the energy sector of Trinidad and Tobago that has gained an unenviable place in the energy world. Indeed, for over twenty five years (that is, from 1976 through 2001) the industrial and petrochemical plants of Trinidad and Tobago were established through his efforts. They grew in capacity from 150 millions cfd to one billion cfd. Today, our production capacity stands at 4 billion cfd.

Professor Julien also played a major role in developing the successful LNG project in Trinidad and Tobago the first such venture in the Atlantic. Outside the natural gas sector, he also served as the Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, (the nation's electricity company) and the Industrial Development Corporation. He is the chairman of E-TECK, a state organization that has been mandated to develop the Wallerfield Science and Technology Park. He is also a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and holds the chairmanship of the LNG Expansion Sub-Committee.

One would have thought that one would have had to live more than one lifetime to achieve all of these firsts. However, if that were not enough, Professor Julien was asked to chair the Steering Committee to develop a comprehensive plan to establish the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). Having completed that endeavor successfully, he was asked to and one presumes he has accepted the challenge to serve as the first Chairman and President of UTT.

At every critical moment of our national history, our country has asked its most devoted and brilliant sons and daughters to come forward to accept leadership positions in our society. During the early years of our development as a nation, Captain Andrew Cipriani came forward to lead the "barefoot" men and women of this society; from the 1930s to the 1950s, Tuba Uriah "Buzz" Butler came forward to lead the working men and women of this society in their struggle for better wages; from 1950 to 1980, the late and great Dr. Eric Williams emerged to take our people towards national independence and, in the process, set up Point Lisas to establish a new foundation for our development during the course of the twenty first century. However, it took a genius of another kind to bring the energy section into fruition and thereby to make Dr. Williams' promise real. In fact, it took the genius and imagination of Professor Ken Julien to make Dr. Williams' dream of an energy efficient and Trinidad and Tobago come true.

Sometimes we tend to take these achievements for granted. However, if we truly wanted to append the appellation of greatness and national genius to one of our outstanding citizens no one is more deserving of such recognition than Kenneth S. Julien. It is in recognition of his foundational role in our national development that we are pleased to award him the NAEAP Achievement of Excellence Award particularly at the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade.

We hope that Professor Ken Julien accepts our award in the spirit of reverence in which it is offered.


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