INTRODUCTION OF WINSTON DOOKERAN

Winston Dookeran personifies the statesman, the principled political leader; the passionate intellectual and the humble public servant. He is currently a Member of Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs and has acted as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on several occasions. As an educator, public servant and politician, Winston Dookeran has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the development of his country aimed at improving the well-being of its people. He has made a mark on the international stage through his distinguished academic career and many publications on economic development of the Caribbean. His life continues to demonstrate the dictum that learning is action.

EARLY BEGINNINGS

Winston Dookeran was born on June 24 1943 in Rio Claro, a primarily agricultural area in south-eastern Trinidad during World War II, at the time when the country was undergoing significant political and social changes. He demonstrated remarkable perseverance in an era when life was socio-economically challenging for many.

His story of success is even more compelling when it is recognised that the Indian population was seen as “other” as he transitioned from child to adult. Knocking the tradition of Indian families where sons became either lawyers or doctors, Dookeran set his own path and followed his own dreams and aspirations.

At the age of 23, he graduated with a baccalaureate degree in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Manitoba, Canada and at the age of 26 received his M.Sc. in Economics, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, United Kingdom.

Read Full Biography