News Releases

UWI St. Augustine Principal 'campus must be entrenched in community to have relevance'

For Release Upon Receipt - January 25, 2023

St. Augustine


  The UWI St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Monday, January 25, 2023– At her January 21 Induction as The University of the West Indies (UWI) Principal of the St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine reflected that she is guided by a belief in the “exceptional nature as Caribbean people, and an imperative to make a positive contribution to society.”

 She said, “we are as intelligent, creative, talented and capable as anyone anywhere, and our abilities find their greatest expression in service. I am fortunate to be part of an institution that gives me the opportunity to work so closely in alignment with these values”.

 Principal Antoine explained that her “philosophy has always been that a university, this campus - must be entrenched in its community to have relevance– A vibrant, impactful and revered social actor, with cutting-edge research. We cannot retreat and become reactionary –we must be proactive, thought-leaders and problem solvers.” In that regard, she plans to expand The UWI from the classroom to the communities. She emphasized that “Scholarship should be taken to the people. It is then that our research, our teaching, will be grounded and transformative.”

  Campus Council Chair Sharon Christopher pointed out that Professor Antoine is the pride of the Caribbean law fraternity since she is the “only person from the law profession to rise to the top of an esteemed tertiary institution – first as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies and, now, as Campus Principal.”

 Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who has called her a ‘history-maker and modern-day freedom fighter’, presented Professor Antoine to Chancellor Robert Bermudez for Induction. As he formally handed her the responsibilities of the Campus, Chancellor Bermudez noted that she is a “daughter of the Caribbean, a UWI graduate, a distinguished award-winning scholar who has made significant contributions to policy and jurisprudence in the Caribbean and globally”.

 Among the dignitaries in the audience were Saint Lucia’s current Prime Minister the Hon Philip J. Pierre, and former Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, husband of Principal Antoine. Also present were former Jamaica Prime Minister the Hon. PJ Patterson, Claudius Francis, Speaker of the House in Saint Lucia, Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago Ivor Archie, Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Chief of the First Peoples in Trinidad and Tobago, Ricardo Bharath.

 The Campus Principal, a trained soprano, ensured that the ceremony and reception featured the best of Trinidad and Tobago’s diverse musical talent. From The UWI Arts Steel, soprano Natalia Dopwell accompanied by The UWI Arts Chorale, UWI alumna Laurissa and Renelle Maharaj (both lawyers) on the violin and viola; alumnus Abhijit Anchortassoo with a classical Indian song, to Khion de Las and Daniel Ryan on pan and saxophone. The ceremony ended with Malick Folk Performers African Drummers and Tassa performing fusion music at the reception in the University Inn and Conference Centre. Calypsonian and Extempore Artiste Black Sage completed the lineup on the night.

 Principal Antoine, who selected ‘Together We Can Create The Change’ as her theme, is the new Campus Principal and the second woman to hold the title. Professor Bridget Brereton served as Campus Principal in 2007.

 For more on Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine and her work, kindly visit https://sta.uwi.edu/induction.

 END

 Notes to the Editor

 Links:

·        Inaugural Address of Prof Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine Campus: https://youtu.be/3wmVno9NHKw. Download link: https://we.tl/t-2QlHkeX6xk

About The UWI St. Augustine Campus

 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 for the past 75 years.

 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 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). 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 in the World University Rankings, 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.

 2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University.

 Learn more at www.uwi.edu  

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