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The P.J. Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy now designated an Institute of The UWI

For Release Upon Receipt - June 22, 2022

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Wednesday, June 22, 2022. — At the sitting of its University Finance and General Purposes Committee (U-F&GPC) on October 27, 2021, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) ratified the Naming Committee’s decision to convert the P.J. Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy into a University Institute. 

The re-envisioned entity is now known as the P.J. Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy. 

According to the University’s Policy for the Establishment, Operation and Governance of Units, Centres and Institutes, such academic entities facilitate extra-Departmental interactions and collaborations that are appropriate for providing multi-disciplinary programmes of research, training and outreach in selected thematic areas. 

This change from a Centre operating on the Mona Campus to an Institute allows the entity to work across all the campuses of the regional university while remaining in its current location. The P.J. Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy officially launched in June 26, 2020, with the mandate to coordinate public policy and advocacy in fostering development relations between the Caribbean and Africa. 

The new structure will ensure the engagement and deployment of the full range of distinguished scholars, technical experts and friends who are already committed to provide focussed expertise on a critical range of regional needs to facilitate national, regional and international collaboration. 

Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles expressed confidence in the decision based on the increased scope of work undertaken by the Centre in the last two years of its operation, under the guidance of the Statesman in Residence, the Most Hon. P.J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica. 

Vice-Chancellor Beckles explained that the change in institutional form was necessitated for two fundamental reasons—the scope of the mandate of the institution, especially in regard to the follow-up to the Africa-Caribbean Summit and, the urgency of the role arising from the challenges confronting Africa and the Caribbean in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the more recently the dislocation resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Statesman in Residence, the Most Hon. P.J. Patterson also noted, “This new institutional form will enable the Institute to discharge our mandate and facilitate engagement of all the resources of The UWI in this time of unprecedented challenges which face Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora.”

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Related News:

The UWI launches PJ Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy

The Most Hon PJ Patterson ‘Statesman in Residence’ at The UWI

 

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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