An American university is looking to offer the first doctoral programme in Bermuda.

Depending on the level of interest, residents may be able to participate in New York-based St. John's University's Centre for the Study of Learning and Teaching Styles doctoral programme this summer without having to travel overseas.

The university also plans to set up a centre for learning at the Bermuda College.

And should this come about, Bermuda will become the university's only "citadel'' for the Caribbean.

Visiting director of the centre Rita Dunn, yesterday told The Royal Gazette that the centre's doctoral programme has proven a success throughout the US and worldwide.

Dr. Dunn is on the Island this week as a guest of the Bermuda National Education Council and to discuss with college officials the possibility of setting up the programme through that facility.

The recipient of 20 national and international awards/citations for the quality of their research on learning styles, Dr. Dunn and husband Kenneth advocate that children should be taught through whatever method matches their learning style, including auditory, visual, tactually and/or kinesthetically.

St. John's doctorate in structural leadership trains people to get the best out of students by using various teaching methods, Dr. Dunn noted.

Applicants must base their research on personal experiences at home or in the classroom.

Dr. Dunn stressed that the programme was not just for educators, but parents and others in the community.

"I'm really interested in training parents to recognise their children's learning styles and they can teach that to educators,'' she said.

The programme has been deemed so successful throughout the US that the federal government has written about it in its four-year education study.

New York has also made the programme mandatory in its public school system.

And principal of the Middle School at Sandys, Melvyn Bassett, speculated that the programme -- which is being used by his school, Bermuda High School for Girls, and Mount St. Agnes Academy -- will eventually be used throughout the private and public school system.

Mr. Bassett, who invited Dr. Dunn to Bermuda four years ago, said he has already noticed the difference in students and teachers as a result of the programme at his school.

His sentiments were echoed by Sister Karen Burke, assistant principal of the Catholic private school St. Elizabeth Seton, who accompanied Dr. Dunn to Bermuda.

A meeting to measure the level of interest in the method locally will be held today at the Bermuda College's library, beginning at 5.15 p.m.

The Bermuda National Education Council's conference will be held tomorrow at Mount St. Agnes Academy from 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.