News Releases

The United Nations Academic Impact welcomes The UWI to its global network

For Release Upon Receipt - June 7, 2022

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Tuesday, June 7, 2022—The University of the West Indies (The UWI) continues to receive international recognition for its contributions to social and economic impact as well as its pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The latest acknowledgment comes from the UN’s global network of students, academics, scientists, researchers, think tanks, institutions of higher education, and educational partners, the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). The UNAI welcomed The UWI as a member on April 27. 

UNAI, an initiative of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, was established in 2010 under the leadership of former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon. As a member of UNAI, The UWI joins institutions in more than 145 countries that are aligned closely with the United Nations and tap into research, innovation and scholarship towards the realisation of the organisation’s goals and mandates. 

In its mission of “sharing a culture of intellectual social responsibility”, UNAI recognises commitment to partnership in areas such as global citizenship; peace and conflict resolution; addressing poverty; sustainability; the “unlearning” of intolerance; commitment to the United Nations Charter; human rights; educational opportunity for all; higher education opportunity for every interested individual and capacity-building in higher education systems. 

Commenting on The UWI’s invitation and admittance to the UNAI, Vice-Chancellor Beckles stated, “We took a decision in our last strategic planning cycle to become an activist university; one with its sleeves rolled up in the community, dealing with the big issues of climate change, social justice, economic development and public health within the Caribbean space. We’ve used the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as the framework to mobilise ourselves, and that decision has proven very effective to garner our actions, our policies and our decision-making. However, in dealing with those issues, we recognise and value the importance of partnership, so we are honoured to join this network of like-minded, fine institutions and explore opportunities for collaboration that would take us all further.”

Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact, Robert Skinner welcomed The UWI to the UNAI community saying, “We are truly pleased to welcome The University of the West Indies as a member of the UN Academic Impact.  As a premier institution of higher education that spans the Caribbean, we know that The UWI will bring a great deal of knowledge and expertise to the UNAI global network.  With its focus on the SDGs and the climate crisis, The UWI will have truly meaningful impact as we seek solutions from academia to the world’s greatest challenges.”

The UWI's Coordinator of its partnership with UNAI, Ambassador Gillian Bristol who serves as Director of the University’s Latin American-Caribbean Centre (LACC) added, "As a member of UNAI, The UWI not only joins a network of universities from across the globe, but will have the opportunity to partner with them in research, innovation and higher education to impact global sustainable development. Also through the UNAI platform, The UWI will be able to showcase its scholarship, engage with UN agencies and diplomatic missions, and stage educational events to advance the UN SDGs”. 

This latest global recognition and affiliation further affirms The UWI’s efforts as an SDG-engaged University. Global partnerships like this one allow the regional university to lend its research and expertise, as well as expand the opportunities to tackle development challenges regionally and internationally. 

The announcement of The UWI’s admission to the UNAI comes on the heels of the release of Times Higher Education’s 2022 Impact Rankings which included The UWI yet again.  Marking its third consecutive year of participation in the rankings, The UWI maintained its strong position among the world’s most impactful universities globally, despite a significant increase of over 300 new entrants compared to 2021. 

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About The UWI

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%. 

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

For more, visit 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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