When Cape Verde Ambassador Jose Luis Rocha visited Rhode Island to celebrate the first direct flights from his nation to T.F. Green Airport, he visited the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography to explore possible collaborations.
During his visit, he met with several URI officials, including President David Dooley, Vice President for Research Gerald Sonnenfeld, and Oceanography Dean Bruce Corliss, to learn about the University’s research and academic capabilities and tour the Inner Space Center.
“Rhode Island and Cape Verde have a long history together, and we have many people here who consider Cape Verde their homeland and are strongly connected to both locations,” said Dooley. “That gives us a tie we can build upon in the future.”
Ambassador Rocha said his goal in visiting URI was to find ways to work cooperatively with the University. Noting the similarities between Cape Verde and Rhode Island, including that both are “an ocean state,” he said, “now we are linked by Cape Verde Airlines as well. It is important that we take stock of the airline coming here to strengthen the relationship between Cape Verde, Rhode Island and the University of Rhode Island.”
Corliss summarized many of the research, education and outreach initiatives under way at the Graduate School of Oceanography and highlighted several that may be appropriate starting points for collaborations with Cape Verde, especially the coastal management and marine spatial planning initiatives of the URI Coastal Resources Center.
“I see a vast opportunity for cooperation,” Ambassador Rocha said. “I would like to add Cape Verde to your list of international collaborators. I’m sure my government would be very interested in sending a group of officials on a fact-finding mission to learn how we can integrate the activities of our Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Maritime Affairs with your university.
“Now that we have a direct flight from Cape Verde to Rhode Island, we should take advantage of it,” he added.
“We are delighted to begin this conversation and look forward to ways we might collaborate with Cape Verde and your institutions in the future,” concluded Dooley.

Media Contact: Todd McLeish, 401-874-7892

Photo of Ambassador Rocha and Dean Corliss by Alex DeCiccio