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UWI St. Augustine Leverages Partnerships & Collaborations at Annual Campus Council Meeting

For Release Upon Receipt - April 2, 2024

St. Augustine


 

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine presenting at the meeting of Campus Council The UWI St Augustine.  

 St. Augustine, April 2, 2024 – In the post-pandemic landscape, the world of higher education has transformed into a fiercely competitive battleground, with universities vying more aggressively than ever for a shrinking pool of prospective students. In response to this challenging environment, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has sharply focused on the imperative that a university's ability to survive hinges on; its adeptness at building out partnerships and global collaborations in addition to nurturing excellence and promoting innovation. Embracing this vision, at its Annual Campus Council Meeting on Tuesday March 12th, 2024 faculty and administrative leaders, including Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine and the Faculty Deans, showcased the significant strides taken in the 2022/2023 academic year to establish and deepen such partnerships.

 Under the theme "Creating Change Together," this year's meeting underscored the collaboration driving The UWI's transformative initiatives. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle-Antoine's presentation highlighted the institution's commitment to academic innovation and research excellence. Furthermore, Professor Antoine stated, “Across the campus, there is tremendous work going on. Work towards societal advancement, pioneering research from our scientists, from our other scholars or educators, from our artists, from our social scientist, from our educators. We are enriching minds and we are actively engaging our communities.”

 In an acknowledgement that the bulk of the work done at the campus is being done on the ‘faculty floor’, through expert leadership and greater productivity, the faculties proudly received significant accolades. The Deans of all eight (8) faculties presented significant contributions and strategic initiatives from their respective faculties. Prof. Bheshem Ramlal, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, emphasized increased engagement with local and international institutions, alongside efforts to boost enrolment through a dedicated outreach unit and alumni involvement. Prof. Mark Wuddivira, Dean of the Faculty of Food & Agriculture, highlighted collaborations with external agencies and Government to address food security as a national priority and promoted interdisciplinary projects for holistic development.

 Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Dean of Humanities & Education shared the faculty’s soon to be launched various short courses, revenue generating initiatives such as Human Kind Studios with support from the Film Programme, and curriculum review and redesign to focus on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary programmes. Meanwhile, Professor Dillip Dan, who represented the Dean of Medical Sciences shared that the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medicine and Health Professionals has accredited The UWI medical schools for the next five years. He also shared the entrepreneurial focus of the Optometry Unit to dispense eyewear in the near future and the faculty’s critical role in publishing internationally recognised research in the post COVID-19 pandemic period.  

 Dr. Alicia Elias-Roberts, Dean of Law, informed about the faculty's introduction of pre-law programme and an international law journal as well as enhancing student experience through the internships and participation in international debate competitions. Dr. Brian Cockburn, Dean of Science & Technology, highlighted the power of inclusive education through the faculty’s Chemistry Festivals for students in collaboration with the American Chemical Society; a first for the Caribbean. He also underscored the faculty's focus on building human resources in secondary education through popular events like Math Fair and Sci-Fest which attracted thousands of students.

 Dr. Acolla Lewis-Cameron, Dean of Social Sciences, emphasized a socially engaged and solutions-oriented approach with the introduction of a people development programme for upskilling staff of the faculty and which is now being offered externally as revenue generating initiative. She also highlighted that the faculty provides tailored training programmes to industry partners including leadership training for youth leaders through the Ministry of Youth Development & National Service and 70 fashion industry experts through the Fashion TT state entity. Lastly, Dr. Akshai Mansingh, Dean of Sport, celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of Sport Kinetics Programme students and highlighted revenue generation efforts through sports grounds and facilities. He also announced plans for the introduction of new programmes such as MSc in Sport and Discrimination and Reparative Justice, MSc Sport Psychology and PhD in Sport.

 Taking responsibility for our future, The UWI remains future-focused and driven and has shown great agility in implementing the Strategic Plan. In fact, the Campus Principal and team were commended by Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles for fully embracing and creating a robust alignment between The University’s Triple A (Access, Alignment and Agility) strategy, and the Campus’s operational plans over the reporting period and movement towards revenue revolution. The Vice Chancellor also stated that the “collective output of the entire UWI system is impressive and the mandate that The UWI must now embrace, along with other campuses, is that of how to convert the reputation that we have earned, and built, into sustainable revenue to secure our future.”

 The Campus Council 2024 showcased revenue-generating initiatives and partnerships aimed at fostering The University's development, which has resulted in the investment of seed capital to fund programmes like Human Kind Studios, the Faculty of Food and Agriculture Campus Market Pace and UWI Seal-It Ltd for the commercialisation of UWI-developed primers and sealants. In particular the Vice Chancellor proposed a “Shark Tank” approach to pitching the campus various products e.g., cocoa, sealants and even film. Moreover, despite facing a downturn in enrolment numbers—a challenge mirrored globally—The UWI stands out for its remarkable resilience within the local and regional landscapes. Underscoring the significance of The University's revenue revolution, Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, "This was the moment where we turn around the cruise ship in the harbour and get it out on the high seas."

 Overall, the Annual Campus Council Meeting served as a platform for celebrating collective achievements and charting a course for future successes. As The UWI looks ahead, Professor. Antoine explained it aptly by stating that "there is a journey towards progress and innovation that we have undertaken, and we are looking at change and continuing the good work that we have done."

 The public session was live-streamed and is available for viewing on The UWI St. Augustine YouTube Channel.

 

  [L-R] Campus Registrar Dr Dawn-Marie De Four Gill, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Campus Council Chair Ms. Sharon Christopher, Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles, Dr the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Education and Deputy Principal, Professor Indar Ramnarine. 

  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 center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 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 nearly 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 Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

 The UWI offers over 1000 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 the wider world.

 The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the 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 Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

 Learn more at www.uwi.edu

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