News Releases

Global UWI’s Reputation and Resilience

For Release Upon Receipt - November 16, 2022

UWI


 The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Tuesday, November 15, 2022—The recently published Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, as well as its Latin America University Rankings four months ago, demonstrate the impressive international resilience of The University of the West Indies (The UWI).

 These rankings illustrate how The UWI—after its 2018 international debut in the top 4% of the best universities in the world, then its meteoric rising in 2021 to the top 1.5%—has consolidated its elite position during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also amid a surge in the number of universities qualifying for the prestigious global assessment.  The UWI remains the #1 ranked Caribbean university and has maintained its excellent position within the top 1% of Latin America’s finest.

 The latest edition of the World University Rankings data shows that while having seen a slight downward adjustment in its overall score, The UWI maintained its relative position among the best-ranked universities globally, in spite of a considerable rise in the number of ranked universities in the 2023 iteration of the ranking.

 Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Densil A. Williams, The UWI’s Chief Strategic Planner noted, “Despite the pandemic, which resulted in universities experiencing a fall in the number of graduates from doctoral degrees, a critical contributor to the ranking scores, The UWI was able to remain strong and ranked in the top 150 best universities in the world for research impact, an illustration of its international resilience. This is a feature that is necessary to sustain its excellence as the leading Caribbean University in the competitive global higher education sector.”

 The research influence or citations score captures the average number of times a university’s published work is cited by scholars globally. The UWI performed impressively in this category, while its scores remained relatively stable among the other indicators used in the Times Higher Education ranking including teaching (the learning environment); research (volume, income and reputation); international outlook (staff, students and research); and industry income (knowledge transfer).

 Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles noted, “The UWI has become a mentor and inspirational force for many emerging universities in search of respected global rankings. We are happy to perform this role and function and welcome the surge in universities now seeking international rankings. This is the context within which The UWI has consolidated its position and exemplified its resilience.”

 Vice-Chancellor Beckles added, “We must commend our colleagues for their enhanced commitment to teaching, learning, and advocacy, and specifically their dedication to publishing cutting edged research in the best journals and other fora that has enabled the university to maintain its elite global standing. UWI scholars have further good reason to celebrate since the University surged to number three for its research citation index in Times Higher Education’s Latin America Rankings. This is an outstanding achievement given that there are over 2000 universities and research institutes in the Latin America and Caribbean region”.

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About The University of the West Indies

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 25 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.

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