Professor Emeritus Harold Ramkissoon

Mathematician | Educator | Science Advocate

About

Professor Emeritus Harold Ramkissoon was a visionary mathematician, educator, and advocate for science and technology, whose contributions left an indelible mark on the Caribbean and the wider world. A graduate of the University of the West Indies, the University of Toronto, and the University of Calgary, Professor Ramkissoon rose through the academic ranks to become the first West Indian to receive a personal chair in mathematics at the University of the West Indies. Over his illustrious career, he published more than 85 peer-reviewed papers, authored several books, and made significant contributions to the field of fluid dynamics, particularly in understanding micropolar and microcontinuum fluids and Marangoni instabilities.

Beyond academia, Professor Ramkissoon served as an independent senator in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament from 2010 to 2013. In this role, he championed initiatives to strengthen the country’s research and development framework and advocated for increased investment in education and innovation. His dedication to fostering a culture of science extended across the Caribbean, where he founded organizations such as the Caribbean Academy of Sciences and spearheaded efforts to create opportunities for young and aspiring scientists through programs like the Trinidad and Tobago National Mathematics Olympiad. His tireless work earned him numerous accolades, including the Chaconia Gold Medal and the CARICOM Science Award, and cemented his legacy as a passionate advocate for education, science and research in the Caribbean and worldwide.

Full Curriculum Vitae (2017)

Awards and Recognition

Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (Germany: 1981–82, 1997, 2003)
Senior Fulbright Fellowship, USA (1988)
Third World Academy of Sciences Fellowship, China (1990)
Appointed Independent Senator, Trinidad and Tobago Government (2010–2013)
Chaconia Gold Medal, Trinidad and Tobago's second-highest national award, for service in education (2000)
Key to the City of Havana, recognizing contributions to science in the Caribbean (2000)
Simon Bolivar Academic Gold Medal, University of Simon Bolivar, Venezuela (2001)

First West Indian to receive both a Readership and Personal Chair in Mathematics at the University of the West Indies
Conferred the title of Professor Emeritus at the University of the West Indies (2007)
Recipient of the First CARICOM Science Award (2006)
Inducted into the CARISCIENCE Hall of Fame (2015)
Doctor of Science (honoris causa), University of the West Indies, St Augustine (2019)
Doctor of Science (honoris causa), University of Technology, Jamaica (2011)
Lifetime Achievement Award, University of the West Indies, Faculty of Science & Technology (2019)
Delivered the lecture “Science and Technology in the Caribbean Today” under the Eminent Person Lecture Series, Akademi Sain Malaysia (2007)
Honored by Alma Mater, Presentation College, San Fernando, Trinidad (2010)

Academic Organizations

Founding Member, Secretary & President, Caribbean Academy of Sciences (1990–1998)
President, Caribbean Academy of Sciences (1994–1998)
Foreign Secretary, Caribbean Academy of Sciences (1998–2002)
Founding Member and First President, Caribbean Congress of Fluid Dynamics (1989)
Chairman, Organizing Committee, First Caribbean Conference of Fluid Dynamics (1989)
Chairman, Organizing Committee, Second Caribbean Conference on Fluid Dynamics (1992)
Honorary President, Caribbean Congress of Fluid Dynamics (2001)
Founding Member and Chairman, National Mathematics Olympiad of Trinidad and Tobago (1985–1989)

Honorary President, Latin American and Caribbean Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (LACCOTAM), Venezuela (2008–2017)
Co-Chairman, Organizing Committee, International Symposium on Visco-Elastic Fluids (1994)
Co-Chairman, CACOFD/IUTAM Symposium on “Lubricated Transport of Viscous Materials” (1997)
Chair, First Major Conference on “Furthering Cooperation in Science and Technology for Caribbean Development” (sponsored by UNESCO, OAS, AAAS) in Trinidad (1998)
Chair, Inter Academy Panel’s International Workshop on “Science and the Media,” Tobago (2002)
Associate Editor, Caribbean Journal of Mathematics
Chair, Caribbean Biodiversity Workshop, Guyana (2002)
President, Humboldt Association of Central America and the Caribbean (2005–2017)

Scientific Organizations

President, Caribbean Scientific Union, an association of regional academies of sciences, Bogotá, Colombia (2002–2004).
Chair, CARICOM Steering Committee on Science and Technology (2006–2017).
Chair, First CARICOM High-Level Meeting on Science and Technology, Grenada (2008).
Chair, CARICOM Science, Technology, and Innovation Committee (2014–2019).
Chair, Second CARICOM High-Level Meeting on Science and Technology, Grenada (2015).
Executive Secretary, CARISCIENCE, a UNESCO network, Trinidad (1999–2010).

Council Member, Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Trieste, Italy (2010–2014).
Executive Board Member, TWAS-ROLAC (TWAS Regional Office in Latin America and the Caribbean), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2009–2017).
Executive Member, Inter Academy Panel, an association of 80 global science academies, Trieste, Italy (1999–2002).
Member, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1995).
Member, UNESCO Ad Hoc Committee of Experts in Basic Sciences, Paris, France (2003).
Member, Council of the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (2004–2007).
Member, UNESCO International Basic Sciences Programme Board, Paris, France (2005–2007).
Member, Governing Board of UNESCO International Centre for South-South Cooperation (ISTIC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2008).
Member, Commonwealth Science Conference Steering Committee (2012–2017).
Founding Member, Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World (AETDEW), Malaysia (2017).

Papers

Professor Ramkissoon published 85 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Creeping Flow of a Micropolar Fluid Past a Sphere," Letters in Applied & Engineering Science, vol. 3, pp. 133–142, 1975.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "The Equations of Motion of a Micropolar Fluid and Some Exact Solutions," Proceedings of the 5th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, pp. 511–512, 1975.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Drag on an Axially Symmetric Body in the Stokes' Flow of Micropolar Fluids," Physics of Fluids, vol. 19, pp. 16–21, 1976.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Representation and Fundamental Singular Solutions in Micropolar Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 56, pp. 197–203, 1976.
H. Ramkissoon, "Singular Solution in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Archives of Mechanics, vol. 29, pp. 115–123, 1977.
S.R. Majumdar and H. Ramkissoon, "Axisymmetric Creeping Flow of a Micropolar Fluid," Tensor, vol. 31, pp. 107–117, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Time Dependent Annular Flow of a Micropolar Fluid," Proceedings of the 6th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, pp. 609–610, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Potentials and Green's Functions in Micropolar Theory," Proceedings of the 6th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, pp. 599–600, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon, "Drag in Couple Stress Fluids," Proceedings of the 6th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, pp. 601–602, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Unsteady Flow of Micropolar Fluid Between Two Concentric Circular Cylinders," Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 55, pp. 408–413, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon, "Slow Steady Rotation of an Axially Symmetric Body in Micropolar Fluid," Applied Scientific Research, vol. 33, pp. 243–257, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon, "Representations in Hydrodynamics," Acta Mechanica, vol. 28, pp. 49–53, 1977.
H. Ramkissoon, "Drag in Couple Stress Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik (Z.A.M.P.), vol. 29, pp. 341–346, 1978.
H. Ramkissoon and J. Norbury, "Stokes Flows in Micropolar Fluid Theory," Proceedings of the 7th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, pp. 605–606, 1979.
H. Ramkissoon, "Integral Representations in Couple Stress Theory of Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 59, pp. 417–422, 1979.
H. Ramkissoon, "On the Uniqueness and Existence of Stokes Flows in Micropolar Theory," Acta Mechanica, vol. 35, pp. 259–270, 1980.
H. Ramkissoon, "A Paradox in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Quarterly of Applied Mathematics, vol. 38, pp. 357–362, 1980.
H. Ramkissoon and R. Devanathan, "On a Linear Steady-State System of Equations in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 18, pp. 947–956, 1980.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Potentials and Green's Functions in Micropolar Fluid Theory," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 60, pp. 249–255, 1980.
H. Ramkissoon and R. Devanathan, "Drag Invariance in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Acta Mechanica, vol. 37, pp. 145–151, 1980.
H. Ramkissoon and M.E. O'Neil, "Stokes Force in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Acta Mechanica, vol. 46, pp. 255–263, 1983.
H. Ramkissoon, E. Becker, and U. Akbay, "Three-Dimensional Disturbances of Planar Viscometric Flow," Rheologica Acta, vol. 22, pp. 284–290, 1983.
H. Ramkissoon, "A Uniqueness Theorem on Couple-Stress Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 63, pp. 574–575, 1983.
H. Ramkissoon, "Boundary Value Problems in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Quarterly of Applied Mathematics, vol. 42, pp. 129–141, 1984.
H. Ramkissoon, "On the Stokes Equations," Proceedings of the 2nd Latin American Conference in Applied Mathematics, pp. 197, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1983.
H. Ramkissoon, "Integral Representations in Hydrodynamics," Acta Mechanica, vol. 50, pp. 119–125, 1983.
H. Ramkissoon, "On a Boundary-Value Problem Associated with Stokes Equations," Caribbean Journal of Mathematics, vol. 2, pp. 55–63, 1984.
H. Ramkissoon, "On the Rotation of an Axially Symmetric Body in Couple Stress Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 64, pp. 297–302, 1984.
H. Ramkissoon, "Plane Interior Boundary-Value Problems in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 23, pp. 809–820, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "Two-Dimensional Disturbances of Plane Extensional Flows of Simple Fluids," Proceedings of the IX International Conference of Rheology, pp. 483–487, Acapulco, Mexico, 1984.
H. Ramkissoon, "On a Generalised System of Equations in Continuum Mechanics," Acta Mechanica, vol. 55, pp. 87–93, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "On a Planar Exterior Problem in Linear Elasticity," Quarterly of Applied Mathematics, vol. 43, pp. 135–141, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "On a Class of Equations Occurring in Microcontinuum Mechanics," Archives of Mechanics, vol. 37, pp. 243–249, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "Flow of a Micropolar Fluid Past a Newtonian Fluid Sphere," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 65, pp. 635–637, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "Unsteady Flow of a Second-Order Fluid Between Concentric Cylinders," Rheologica Acta, vol. 24, pp. 623–626, 1985.
H. Ramkissoon, "Representations in Continuum Mechanics," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 66, pp. 60–61, 1986.
H. Ramkissoon, "Lame-Type Potentials in a Non-Newtonian Fluid Theory," Acta Mechanica, vol. 60, pp. 135–141, 1986.
H. Ramkissoon, "Stokes Flow Past a Slightly Deformed Fluid Sphere," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik (Z.A.M.P.), vol. 37, pp. 859–866, 1986.
H. Ramkissoon, "On an Exterior Planar Problem in Microcontinuum Fluid Mechanics," Journal de Mechanique Theorique et Appliquee, vol. 5, pp. 897–909, 1986.
H. Ramkissoon, "The Effect of a Boundary on the Motion of a Sphere in Polar Fluids," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 24, pp. 227–234, 1986.
H. Ramkissoon, "On a System of Equations in Visco-Elastic Fluid Theory," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 67, pp. 197–199, 1987.
C.V. Easwaran, S.R. Majumdar, and H. Ramkissoon, "A Uniqueness Theorem for Viscoelastic Fluids," American Mathematical Society Abstracts, 93rd Annual Meeting, 1987.
H. Ramkissoon, C.V. Easwaran, and S.R. Majumdar, "On the Uniqueness of Exterior Boundary Value Problems in Viscoelastic Fluids," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 68, pp. 53–55, 1988.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Micropolar Flow Past a Slightly Deformed Fluid Sphere," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 68, pp. 155–160, 1988.
H. Ramkissoon, "Stokes Flow Past a Reiner-Rivlin Liquid Sphere," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 69, pp. 259–261, 1989.
H. Ramkissoon, "Slow Flow of a Non-Newtonian Liquid Past a Fluid Sphere," Acta Mechanica, vol. 78, pp. 73–80, 1989.
H. Ramkissoon, C.V. Easwaran, and S.R. Majumdar, "Unsteady Flow of an Elastico-Viscous Fluid in Tubes of Uniform Cross-Section," International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, vol. 24, pp. 585–597, 1989.
H. Ramkissoon, "Swirling Flow of a Simple Fluid Between Rotating Plates," Proceedings of the X Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering, 1989.
H. Ramkissoon, "Visco-Elastic Flow Past a Spheroid," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik (Z.A.M.P.), vol. 41, pp. 137–145, 1990.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Flow Due to the Longitudinal and Torsional Oscillation of a Cylinder," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik (Z.A.M.P.), vol. 41, pp. 200–206, 1990.
H. Ramkissoon, C.V. Easwaran, and S.R. Majumdar, "Longitudinal and Torsional Oscillation of a Rod in a Polar Fluid," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 29, pp. 215–221, 1991.
H. Shifang and H. Ramkissoon, "Time Dependent Flow of Upper Convected Jeffery Fluid in a Tube," Proceedings of the China-Japan International Conference in Rheology, pp. 161–165, Beijing, 1991.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "A Flow Stoppage Problem," Proceedings of the Second Caribbean Conference in Fluid Dynamics, pp. 293–302, Trinidad, 1992.
H. Ramkissoon and C.V. Easwaran, "Non-Newtonian Flow Between Concentric Cylinders," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (Z.A.M.M.), vol. 72, 1993.
H. Ramkissoon and H. Shifang, "Unsteady Motion of a Sphere in an Elastico-Viscous Fluid," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 31, pp. 19–26, 1993.
H. Ramkissoon, C.V. Easwaran, and S.R. Majumdar, "Unsteady Visco-Elastic Flow in Tubes," Journal of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, vol. 27, pp. 129–140, 1993.
H. Ramkissoon, "Two Widely Spaced Spheres in a Polar Fluid," Archives of Mechanics, vol. 45, pp. 485–492, 1993.
K. Rahaman and H. Ramkissoon, "An Unsteady Non-Newtonian Flow Between Concentric Cylinders," Proceedings of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences, vol. 4, pp. 154–163, 1993.
H. Power and H. Ramkissoon, "The Completed Double Layer Boundary Integral Equation Method for the Stokes Flow of a Micropolar Fluid," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 32, pp. 653–668, 1994.
H. Power and H. Ramkissoon, "Stokes Flow of a Micropolar Fluid Exterior to Several Non-Intersecting Closed Surfaces but Contained by an Exterior Contour," Mathematical Methods in Applied Sciences, vol. 17, pp. 1115–1127, 1994.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Visco-Elastic Flow in Tubes Subjected to Pulses," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 33, pp. 217–221, 1995.
K. Rahaman and H. Ramkissoon, "Unsteady Axial Visco-Elastic Pipe Flows," Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, vol. 57, pp. 27–38, 1995.
H. Ramkissoon and S.R. Majumdar, "Axial Pipe Flows of an Oldroyd Fluid," Proceedings of the Third Caribbean Congress of Fluid Dynamics, pp. 1–7, Venezuela, 1995.
H. Shifang and H. Ramkissoon, "A Variational Analytical Approach to Time Dependent Flow of Oldroyd B Fluid in Circular Tube," Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, vol. 16, pp. 169–178, 1995.
H. Ramkissoon, "Some Non-Newtonian Axial Pipe Flows," ASME Proceedings, vol. 66, pp. 189–196, 1995.
L. Antanovskii and H. Ramkissoon, "Long-Wave Peristaltic Transport of a Compressible Viscous Fluid in a Finite Pipe Subject to a Time-Dependent Pressure Drop," Fluid Dynamics Research, vol. 19, pp. 115–123, 1997.
H. Ramkissoon, "Slip Flow Past an Approximate Spheroid," Acta Mechanica, vol. 123, pp. 227–233, 1997.
H. Ramkissoon, "Polar Flow Past a Spheroid," Engineering Transactions, vol. 45, pp. 171–180, 1997.
H. Ramkissoon, "Stokes Flow Past a Non-Newtonian Spheroid," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik, vol. 78, pp. 61–66, 1997.
H. Ramkissoon, "A Slip Flow Problem," Journal of Mathematical Sciences, vol. 8, pp. 59–63, 1997.
L. Antanovskii and H. Ramkissoon, "Peristaltic Transport in a Finite Circular Pipe," Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 163–175, 1998.
H. Ramkissoon, "Polar Flow Past a Reiner-Rivlin Liquid Sphere," Journal of Mathematical Sciences, vol. 10, pp. 63–68, 1999.
K. Rahaman and H. Ramkissoon, "Non-Newtonian Fluid Sphere in a Spherical Container," Acta Mechanica, vol. 149, pp. 239–245, 2001.
H. Ramkissoon and D. Comissiong, "Thermal Instabilities in a Two-Layer Fluid System in Microgravity Environment," Recent Developments in Fluid Mechanics, pp. 127–130, 2001.
H. Ramkissoon and D. Comissiong, "Marangoni Instabilities in a Two-Layer Fluid System," Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, vol. 26, pp. 243–253, 2001.
H. Ramkissoon, G. Ramdath, D. Comissiong, and K. Rahaman, "On Thermal Instabilities in a Viscoelastic Fluid," Proceedings of the 14th U.S. National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Virginia, 2002.
H. Ramkissoon and K. Rahaman, "Wall Effects on a Spherical Particle," Proceedings of the 39th Conference of the Society of Engineering Science, Pennsylvania, USA, 2002.
H. Ramkissoon and K. Rahaman, "Wall Effects on a Spherical Particle," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 41, pp. 283–290, 2003.
H. Ramkissoon and K. Rahaman, "Wall Effect with Slip," Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik, vol. 83, pp. 773–778, 2003.
H. Ramkissoon and D. Palaniappan, "Viscous Flows Past Porous Spheres with Infiltrated Cores," Proceedings of the 6th Caribbean Conference on Fluid Dynamics, Book of Abstracts, Trinidad, 2004.
H. Ramkissoon, G. Ramdath, D. Comissiong, and K. Rahaman, "Thermal Instability and Heat Transfer," Ibid.
H. Ramkissoon and D. Palaniappan, "A Drag Formula Revisited," International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 43, pp. 1498–1501, 2005.
H. Ramkissoon, G. Ramdath, D. Comissiong, and K. Rahaman, "On Thermal Instabilities in a Viscoelastic Fluid," International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, vol. 41, pp. 18–25, 2006.
H. Ramkissoon, D. Comissiong, T. Dass, and A. Sankar, "On Thermal Instabilities in a Viscoelastic Fluid Subject to Internal Heat Generation," World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 80, pp. 826–833, 2011.

Books

H. Ramkissoon and B. Tom, Differential Complex Analysis, 1996.
B. Tom and H. Ramkissoon, Complex Analysis, 1998.
H. Ramkissoon (Editor), Lubricated Transport of Viscous Materials, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.
H. Ramkissoon and C. De Matas, The Element of Calculus, 2010.
H. Ramkissoon, Differential Equations, 2011.

Other Publications

H. Ramkissoon, "Science in the Caribbean," Brazil, 2002.
H. Ramkissoon, "Caribbean Survival: Critical Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation," UWI Policy Conference, Jamaica, 2004.
H. Ramkissoon, "Scientific Organizations in the Region," Alexander von Humboldt Meeting, Costa Rica, 2005.
H. Ramkissoon and I. Kahwa, "The Structure and Output of Science in the Caribbean," UNESCO World Science Report, 2005.
H. Ramkissoon and I. Kahwa, "Science Research in the Caribbean," A World of Science, UNESCO, 2005.
H. Ramkissoon, "Cuban Science: A Jewel in the Caribbean Crown," A World of Science, UNESCO, 2005.
H. Ramkissoon, "Science and Technology in the Caribbean Today," Academi Sains Malaysia Monograph, 2007.
H. Ramkissoon and R. Wright, Editors, "Proceedings of the Workshop on Renewable Energy for the Caribbean—Reality and Perspectives," 2008.
H. Ramkissoon, "Challenges Facing the University in a Knowledge Economy," TWAS General Meeting, Mexico, 2008.
H. Ramkissoon, "Regional Challenges for Research Marketing Germany: The Case of Central America and the Caribbean," Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Meeting, Berlin, Germany, 2009.
H. Ramkissoon, "Transforming the Caribbean Science and Technology Landscape to Assist with Economic Development," 4th Annual Private Sector Meeting with CARICOM Ministers of Trade and Commerce, Jamaica, 2009.
H. Ramkissoon and I. Kahwa, "The CARICOM Countries," UNESCO World Science Report, 2010.
H. Ramkissoon, "Keynote Address," Expert Group Meeting "Implementing Rio+20 Integrated Planning for Sustainable Coastal Area Management in the Caribbean Region," Trinidad, 2014.
H. Ramkissoon and I. Kahwa, "The CARICOM Countries," UNESCO World Science Report, 2015.