A Bird’s-eye view of members of the campus community on the St Augustine greens. PHOTO: KC MEDIA
The sun will soon set on our year-long celebrations to commemorate this remarkable achievement of our university — 75 years of academic excellence, nation-building, and the socio-economic transformation of our region. The University of the West Indies has come a long way since the recommendation by the Irvine Committee in 1945 and the enrolment of the first medical students at the campus in 1948. As we approach the end of this milestone, it is only fitting to revisit the journey that led us here, celebrate our achievements, and reflect on our legacy through our theme: UWI at 75 — Rooted. Ready. Rising.
As a university with its foundation in the region, The UWI has been steadfast in its commitment to national and regional development. Our objective has always been to serve the needs of our people, communities, and the wider region while preparing our students and citizens for the rapidly changing global environment. At The UWI, education and research remain the core of what we do. They are the driving forces behind our success and that of our nation and region.
We are witnessing numerous technological advances, the rise of artificial intelligence among them. At the same time, we face several pressing challenges – social, geopolitical, economic, health, and climate-related. However, The UWI is an asset of the region to confront these challenges and find new solutions, both through its own work and in collaboration with partners beyond the campus walls. The university is generating crucial research in a host of areas such as diplomacy, education, climate change, culture, gender, health policy, economic policy, crime, food security, and many many others.
We have accomplished much as a university over the last 75 years, producing world-class scholars, researchers, and leaders. Since its inception, The UWI has graduated over 240,000 students, including 25 heads of government and 2 Nobel Laureates. Our campus has been recognised as a global leader in research and advocacy. Looking forward, our goal is to further elevate the reputation of the university and this campus through new commercialisation efforts to not only help finance the university, but also contribute to society’s betterment. We will also intensify our outreach work, and engage communities on a deeper level to provide assistance where it is most needed.
We encourage all stakeholders – governments, the private sector, NGOs, schools, cultural groups, institutions of higher education, individuals, and others – to partner with us in this mission.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the readers and friends of The UWI for their contributions to the growth of our university.
Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine
Campus Principal
