Visiting Colombian professor and lecturer Raul Cuero, who is a guest of the Corporation of Hamilton, said he’s on the Island to inspire creativity among Bermuda’s young people.

And Dr Cuero also announced plans to introduce a workshop from his International Park of Creativity to Bermuda in 2014, using sponsorship from international companies rather than public funds.

Hamilton deputy mayor Donal Smith defended bringing Dr Cuero to the Island, using City funds to the estimated tune of $13,000, as a major coup for the Island.

“There are international companies that have their eye on Dr Cuero,” Mr Smith told The Royal Gazette, “and they have already pledged their support to have this camp here in Bermuda.”

The online mission statement of the International Park of Creativity (IPOC) in Colombia says its aim is to “develop and enrich creativity in teenagers to the service of the scientific and technologic production”.

Dr Cuero will lecture at a public forum in Hamilton’s St Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church Centennial Hall, tonight (6.30pm).

Describing his own background as impoverished, Dr Cuero said: “Through creativity, I overcame all those obstacles — therefore I would like to extend my experience as a creative person to the rest of the population, especially young people”.

A microbiologist, Dr Cuero said he sees a promising future in biotechnology and maintained his workshops were able to produce ten patents currently pending, and five that were in place.

“All inventions are in the area of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, the environment, food and antibiotics,” he added.

After lecturing a group of local students yesterday, Dr Cuero said: “The school system here is very good. What we’re doing is trying to make sure students apply those good things in something practical.”

He stressed that young learners are best inspired by practical tasks.

“They learn that to be useful is better than to be important — that’s one of the main things they learn,” he added.

A Corporation of Hamilton statement said it was hoped that Dr Cuero’s lectures this week would ensure that “our local talent can be recognised and unleashed”.

Asked if the IPOC camp planned for next spring in Bermuda would be financed by local companies, Mr Smith said IPOC received its funding from corporations outside Bermuda that profited from any innovations made.