News Releases

See Funds to The UWI as investment not expenditure says UWI Vice-Chancellor

For Release Upon Receipt - March 16, 2018

UWI


Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has said that the regional governments’ funding to the institution should be viewed as an investment, not expenditure.

Addressing the Opening Session of the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) for The UWI on March 6, 2018, at the University’s Mona Campus Visitors’ Lodge, Vice-Chancellor Beckles noted that The UWI which is this year celebrating its 70th anniversary, “has ticked every box possible to ensure we created a fine university.”

Vice-Chancellor Beckles, addressing officials of the Ministries of Education and Finance across the region declared, “The UWI has its sleeves rolled up and is out there in the trenches pushing to get our national and regional economies up in the air.” The number one priority for The UWI, he noted, “is to facilitate the process of economic growth, the attainment of which is frustrating our best efforts.  Without at least 4% growth across CARICOM, and in Jamaica, our largest economy, sustaining social development will be a horrendous exercise.”

To this end, he argued, governments must turn the corner in their policy thinking, “seeing the University as a site of investment that facilitates economic growth and not a place for oppressive expenditure. All the countries in the post-recession world that have achieved impressive rates of sustained economic growth,” the Economic Historian said, “turned this corner and aligned their academic system with industry. This is where we are at the moment. We must succeed.”

Noting that good leadership in government sectors and a supportive private sector across the region along with graduates who continue to distinguish themselves regionally and overseas, have contributed to The UWI’s success, the Vice-Chancellor underscored that The UWI’s Strategic Plan 2017-2022 focuses on a “Triple A” strategy of Access, Alignment and Agility and a more accessible and aligned UWI can lead the revitalization of Caribbean development.

The Meetings of the TACs in Jamaica reviewed the budgets for the biennium 2018-2020 for the four campuses, its Vice-Chancellery and the University Hospital of the West Indies, for recommendations to be made to the Grants Committees.  The Grants Committees are then expected to review and approve the recommendations and advance them to the Annual Business Meeting of Council for final approval in April 2018.

The TACs Meetings are rotated annually across The UWI’s 17 contributing countries.  The Government of Jamaica last hosted the meeting in 2012.

 

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Note to the Editor

Photo caption: (L-R) Seated during the Opening Session of the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) for The UWI are Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Minister of Education, Youth and Information of Jamaica, the Honourable Ruel Reid, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information of Jamaica Mr Dean-Roy Bernard and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Mona Campus, Professor Archibald McDonald.

 

About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (The 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, The 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 & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. The 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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