News Releases

Universal Children’s Day marks opening of UWI Family and Development Centre

For Release Upon Receipt - November 22, 2013

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – The newly constructed University of the West Indies Family Development Centre (FDC) was officially opened on November 20, 2013, Universal Children’s Day, at St. John Road, St. Augustine. The FDC was opened in the presence of the Minister of Education, the Honourable Dr Tim Gopeesingh, and the Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, Senator the Honourable Fazal Karim. 

The FDC is an extension of the innovative work that has been taking place at the UWI Children’s Research Centre over the last 25 years. Its primary aim is to enhance child and family development on a national, regional and international level. Areas of focus will include research and policy development, child and family outreach, scholarly publications and dissemination of practical information to the public.

As Campus Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Clement Sankat said in his welcome speech, “the UWI Family Development Centre is a “centre of excellence” in itself that is committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of children to quality early childhood care and education.”  Closing remarks were delivered by Dr Carol Logie, one of the founders of the FDC, and current Administrative Director of The UWI, St. Augustine Family Development and Children’s Research Centre (FDCRC) and Lecturer at the UWI St. Augustine School of Education. In recognition of her scholarship and research, and her contribution to the body of knowledge on early childhood education and family development, Dr Logie was awarded at the recently concluded Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in October 2013.

The UWI-FDC, according to Professor Sankat, is “an investment in our future” and “a symbol of excellence,” which will serve as a centre of excellence for family and childhood development, and education and research for the benefit of not just Trinidad and Tobago, but for the wider Caribbean region.

End

PHOTO

Students of the FDCRC sing at the Official Opening Ceremony

Students of the FDCRC sing at the official opening ceremony of the FDC  

About UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences. 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.) 

For the latest UWI News, click http://sta.uwi.edu/news.

 

Contact