News Releases

UWI celebrates international culture at iWeek

For Release Upon Receipt - October 2, 2015

St. Augustine


The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus has had a longstanding tradition of international partnerships and over the years, has welcomed staff and students from all corners of the world. For the new academic year alone, the campus welcomed students from as near as Venezuela, and as far as Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Fiji, Solomon Islands and New Zealand. It is in this vein that the campus celebrates International Week (iWeek) from October 5 to 9, 2015 themed Embrace Our World.

iWeek provides a platform from which the campus can enhance the understanding of internationalisation and the significant contribution it makes in its community and throughout the world. According to Director of the Campus’ Office of Institutional Advancement and Internationalisation, Sharan Singh, “The project is hinged on the cooperation of a number of departments of The UWI as the mandate for internationalisation lies with all of us and it is imperative that we get university staff and students interested and actively involved in embracing this concept.” The goal of iWeek therefore, is to raise awareness among staff, students and the wider community about the breadth of international education opportunities and resources available to them at the campus.

The week-long event is comprised of a series of educational, cultural and recreational events designed to foster interest in the global community. Staff and students will have the opportunity to partake in a Study Abroad Fair, which will highlight many of The UWI's current collaborative agreements with institutions from around the world, and also an International Dress Day, representing different destinations. The schedule of events open to the public is as follows:

·         Monday October 5: Opening Ceremony, 10am at “The Greens” outside the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) featuring a Traditional Dance performed by students of the Pacific Islands.

·         Wednesday October 7: International Film Showcase, from 8am to 3pm at the Learning Resource Centre (LRC). This mix of local, regional and international films will feature films which touch on topics like politics, education, culture and gender.  Patrons will also have an opportunity to view a selection of short films written, directed and produced by current and past students of The UWI St. Augustine Film Programme.

·         Thursday October 8: International Food Market, from 11:30am to 2:30pm at the JFK Quadrangle featuring delicacies from Ethiopia, India, Venezuela, Mexico and more.

Another goal of iWeek is to educate the campus community about today's most pressing issues affecting Caribbean citizens, providing exposure to the work of those who have taken the initiative to address these issues and thus, encourage the community to take an active role also. Overall, Mr. Singh added, “We expect to foster global citizenship and enhance the intercultural climate of our campus.”

Let The UWI St. Augustine help you embrace your world! For further details, contact the International Office at (868) 224 3707 or email Ava.Claxton@sta.uwi.edu.

 

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About The UWI

 

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. Website: www.uwi.edu

 

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

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