News Releases

UWI Provides Clarification on The UWI St. Augustine South Campus at Penal-Debe Operations

For Release Upon Receipt - May 21, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. May 21, 2025 – In response to recent media questions and ongoing public interest regarding the reopening of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) South Campus in Penal-Debe, the university wishes to provide the following statement to clarify the matter. 

The South Campus, a facility constructed with substantial Government investment, was completed for use in 2019, save for one building structure and it was made available to the State as a step-down medical facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, in service to the national interest. Following its return in May 2022 to The UWI, the Campus was found to be in a state requiring urgent restoration following an assessment conducted between May 2022 and July of that year. Since that time, The UWI has submitted requests for government funding to support rehabilitation and repairs to the facility and the matter was under consideration by the previous government. Budget request/proposals submitted to the relevant authorities included detailed assessments and cost estimates for urgent upgrades. Despite its limited financial resources, The UWI prioritised and proceeded with critical repair works and security enhancements to prepare the facility in anticipation of its phased reopening. 

Academic Building Lecture Room 

Strategic Direction and Use of the South Campus 

It was originally intended that the new Faculty of Law would be the flagship faculty of the South Campus. However, in 2017 staff and students from the Faculty of Law protested the move to Debe. In 2018 a decision was made by the then UWI administration not to relocate the Faculty of Law to the South Campus. Instead, the Campus decided that a newly established self-financing and sustainable Global School of Medicine (GSM) would be the flagship of the Campus. 

The decision to establish the Global School of Medicine at this location and to designate it as a medical education hub was a strategic move, years in the making, following multiple rounds of internal planning and consultation. This decision was formally approved by the University Council—the highest governing body of the regional UWI system, charged with financial and operational oversight, in 2021 and designated a core strategic objective of the Campus. Since then, The UWI has made several pronouncements about this GSM, the most recent being pronouncements by the Vice Chancellor at the University Council meeting in May 2025. 

 

Student Union Gym 

Aligned with The UWI’s Triple 'A' Strategy (Access, Alignment, Agility), the Global School of Medicine will serve primarily international students and will allow the University to meet the growing demand for medical education. Notably, this will redound to the country’s economic and social benefit through increased access to education, medical services, international visibility and foreign exchange earnings. 

The South Campus is also intended to support delivery of selected programmes across multiple faculties, including the Faculties of Science and Technology, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education and the Faculty of Medical Sciences which will be delivered in blended formats. The aims would be to increase access to persons from the South and Central who would not ordinarily be in a position to attend the St. Augustine Campus. Notwithstanding the past protests regarding the relocation of the Faculty of Law, the university administration is open to having discussions with the government on its inclusion in the planned programmes being offered. 

The UWI ROYTEC will also be housed at the South Campus. 

 

Student Union Guild 

State of the Facility and Restoration Efforts 

The South Campus, having remained largely underutilised for several years, has experienced some natural deterioration in certain areas. Key restoration to the main buildings – the Academic Building (3-story main teaching and learning facility), Students’ Union, Auditorium/Moot Court, Health Facility, Cafeteria and, Gymnasium have already been made to a high standard and they are ready for occupation. Furniture and computer equipment are already fitted in the academic spaces and Students’ Union. Further ongoing restorative works are planned for the Faculty Building, which will not be immediately needed. A phased restoration is planned and will be implemented as funding becomes available, therefore repair to non-academic spaces such as the tennis & multi-purpose courts, cricket pavilion, and swimming pool will come after the initial reopening phase. While key areas have been landscaped, an ongoing landscape contract is at the tender stage. 

Importantly, these challenges are not unique to the South Campus. The UWI St. Augustine Campus itself is also managing the realities of an aging infrastructure, with several longstanding facilities now requiring further investment. The University must balance its commitment to academic excellence with the fiscal limitations of maintaining and modernising its physical assets ensuring all critical spaces are safe, functional, and in line with international standards for education. 

 

Academic Building Academic Staff Room 

Financial Support and Readiness 

The University has included requests for funding to support rehabilitation of the campus in its official submissions to the Government. While The UWI is doing everything within its means to optimise resources and enhance its financial resilience such as reducing costs (to the tune of TT$300 million over the past several years) and entrepreneurship ventures, government support remains critical to fully operationalise the facility as a hub for high-quality, international-standard education.

 

Academic Building Computer Lab 

Stakeholder Engagement 

The University welcomes ongoing dialogue with all key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, and welcomes the opportunity to provide updates as restoration efforts advance in phases. 

The recent site visit to the South Campus was a preliminary private meeting and not intended as a public or media tour. A media walkthrough is being planned for a later date. 

The UWI is committed to maximising the value of its physical assets, responding to emerging national and regional needs, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the institution — while remaining transparent and accountable to the public it serves. 

 

Moot Court 

END 

About The University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability and development.

As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

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