News Releases

The UWI advances Caribbean diplomacy with new MOU

For Release Upon Receipt - November 17, 2016

St. Augustine


The University of the West Indies (UWI) Institute of International Relations (IIR)/ Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) and Instituto Matias Romero signed a historic five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) November 2, 2016.

The signing took place when Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean, Her Excellency, Ambassador Socorro Flores Liera and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico, His Excellency Jesús Alberto López González met with Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Brian Copeland at The UWI, St Augustine. 

The aim of the MOU is to strengthen ties between both countries through the development of diplomatic academic activities on matters of mutual interest. These include: designing courses and training programmes in various types of diplomacy, economic diplomacy, diplomatic protocol, conference diplomacy and multilateral negotiation; participation of young diplomats in programmes conducted by either or both parties; exchange of information on activities of common interest particularly those relating to participation in the regional and international fora involving diplomatic academies and other diplomatic training institutes; sharing of experiences on diplomatic academic education; exchange of specialised publications on diplomacy, foreign policy, international relations and similar topics; and any other activities agreed on by both parties.

These objectives are in keeping with the DAOC’s vision and mandate as a Caribbean diplomatic academy. It is the first of its kind in the CARICOM region and seeks to provide services to a rage of actors involved in international cooperation and negotiations within the CARICOM region and beyond. 

Commenting on the nature of the partnership, Professor Jessica Byron, Director of IIR stated that “The IIR welcomes the signing of this MOU and looks forward to future collaboration with the Instituto Matias Romero which has many years of experience in delivering professional training programmes to Mexico’s diplomatic and consular corps and public officials. Such cooperation arrangements will be of great value in the consolidation of the DAOC”.

Also present at the signings were Dr. Mark Kirton of the IIR, Mrs Maria Elena Alcaraz, Head of Chancellery, Embassy of the Republic of Mexico in Trinidad and Tobago and Ambassador Maria del Carmen Oñate Muñoz, Advisor to Under Secretary Socorro Flores Liera. 

For more about the DAOC, please visit the Academy’s website at http://sta.uwi.edu/iir/academy.asp or email diplomaticacademy@sta.uwi.edu.

End

 

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.)

 

 

Contact