USM part of Dutch Caribbean research data network
USM is participating in the DCDC network, which will hold a regional conference in Aruba from 10 to 12 November.
The University of St. Martin is participating in the Dutch Caribbean Digital Competence Network, a regional initiative involving universities in Sint Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao. The network’s official conference is scheduled for 10 to 12 November at the University of Aruba, where participants are due to set cooperation and training priorities.
The network also includes the Instituto Pedagogico Arubano as an associated partner and has activities in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. It was established in 2025 with funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research through its Open Science NL programme.
USM hosted DCDC Network Administrator Rendell de Kort from 28 September to 2 October. The visit was coordinated by USM Research Coordinator Raymond Jessurun, the network’s representative for Sint Maarten, and included discussions with education, government, civil-society and private-sector representatives.
The discussions covered research support, digital infrastructure, library services and information management. They also considered government records, statistics, personal-data protection and historical documents. The network says it promotes FAIR principles for research information: making it findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, while protecting sensitive records.
The Aruba conference will include sessions on artificial intelligence, privacy and information sharing, followed by workshops on training priorities. The network is coordinated by Esther Plomp of the University of Aruba Research Center. Marjorie Alfonso is the Curaçao coordinator.
Logo: University of St. Martin
