For Release Upon Receipt - September 11, 2019
UWI
On September 19, 2019, The UWI Alumni Relations and Alumni Chapters and the Alumni Relations arm of the Institutional Advancement Division (IAD-AR) will launch their partnership with YoPro Global Foundation on the first Soft & Life Skills series for students and alumni across all campuses Caribbean-wide.
This skills series is part of the Pelican Perks Advantage Programme, available to UWI students and alumni, and will be offered through Alumni Relations at The UWI Regional Headquarters. The online sessions will cover relevant topics related to social, professional, and personal development and will be hosted monthly within the academic year.
YoPro Global has executed more than 100 such events worldwide in the past 12 years. It will provide speakers and industry experts for each session, coaching them on the audience and delivery, and coordinating the logistics for the presentation. UWI Alumni Association members will be invited to participate alongside these speakers, to localize the experience and share their own perspectives on the speakers’ topics. The online platform will allow for interaction with speakers and presenters.
“Our primary goal in engaging our alumni and students Caribbean-wide through these Soft and Life Skills programmes is to complement their academic knowledge and assist in their continued professional advancement.” said Celia Davidson Francis, Director of Alumni Relations for The UWI. “We will be involving our E-Mentors and are delighted to work with YoPro who will lead in the delivery. These quality sessions will be offered in the evenings to allow easy access.”
Dr. Ty Richardson, Chairman and CEO of YoPro Global Foundation, noted that “this partnership has been one of our goals for the last four years. We’re excited that on the 5th anniversary of YoPro’s Trinidad and Tobago signature conference, Mentoring Young Professionals (M.Y.) Conference, we’re able to announce this partnership with one of the region’s most established and prominent institutions”. “This partnership will allow us to expand beyond Trinidad and Tobago and to reach the entire region, fostering a larger impact.”
The skill-enhancing sessions are beneficial “Pelican Perks” which will be offered to UWI students and graduates who are UWIAA members at complimentary or special, greatly reduced, affordable prices. In 2020, the programme will expand to host its first conference, introducing industry experts and graduate professionals to a live audience of UWI students, alumni and community members in Jamaica. In 2021, the programme will further expand to host three such conferences in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
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About The UWI
For more than 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students across five campuses: 4 Landed: Cave Hill in Barbados; Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda; Mona in Jamaica; St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago; and an Open Campus with over 42 locations serving 17 Caribbean territories.
The world’s most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education, has ranked The UWI among the top 600 universities in the world for 2019, and the 40 best universities in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2018 and 2019. The UWI is the only Caribbean-based University to make these prestigious lists and is one of only two regional universities in the world (the other being the University of South Pacific).
As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa including the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Studies Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); The UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
The regional university offers more than 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving sustainable economic growth and development. Visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note the proper name of the university: The University of the West Indies, inclusive of “The”)
About UWI Alumni Relations, IAD and the Alumni Association (UWIAA)
The Alumni Relations arm of the Institutional Advancement Division, based at the UWI Regional Headquarters, is responsible for alumni engagement and the UWI Alumni Association (UWIAA) Chapters fall under this office. The UWIAA was established by the University’s Charter, Statues and Ordinances and its primary purpose is to foster and maintain contact among UWI graduates, encourage closer bonds and commitment to the University and to enhance its development. Together they work to enhance the Mission and Values of The University of the West Indies. For more information, email celia.davidson-francis@alumni.uwi.edu or visit https://www.uwi.edu/alumnionline/.
About YoPro Global Foundation
YoPro’s origins began in 2006 as European Young Professional serving Bangkok, Dublin, London and Barcelona, before making its way to San Francisco. Largely focused on events, the organization hosted networking experiences monthly connecting young professionals and designing experiences. After attempting to launch a social network, YoPro pivoted back to event experiences and later, introduced educational forums and conferences as it evolved in Trinidad and Tobago. Always remaining focused on serving youth and young professionals, today, YoPro has established itself in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a Foundation focused on providing educational resources, access, and opportunities for emerging youth and young professionals worldwide. For more information, email Foundation.Admin@yoproglobal.org or visit www.yoproglobal.org.
Marketing and Communications Department