News Releases

Early Start for UWI Five Islands 2025 AI Conference

For Release Upon Receipt - June 23, 2025

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Monday, June 23, 2025 — Hundreds of academics, AI experts and enthusiasts, policy makers and other stakeholders have arrived in Antigua for The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Five Islands Campus (FIC) second annual 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) Annual Research Conference ‘Bridging Digital Frontiers: AI For Caribbean Sustainability’. At a pre-conference networking reception on Sunday, June 22, Campus Principal and Host, Professor Justin Robinson welcomed participants with these sentiments “We understand our region’s complexities like no one else can. Our scattered islands and diverse territories face challenges that no textbook or algorithm from Silicon Valley can fully comprehend. As we explore the frontiers of this fifth industrial revolution, let us not just think of what AI can do but what AI should do for the Caribbean. Let us conference with the profound belief that the Caribbean has unique contributions to make to this AI revolution.”

 Conference attendees at a pre-conference workshop AI & The Public Sector: Introduction to Chat GPT

The annual conference brings together leading AI experts, policymakers, and key stakeholders to share groundbreaking research, exchange transformative ideas, and explore the powerful role of artificial intelligence in driving sustainable Caribbean development. It also facilitates high-level policy discussions around the region’s responsible approach to AI adoption.

Also addressing attendees at the reception were The Honourable Daryll Matthew, Minister of Education, Antigua and Barbuda — bringing remarks on behalf of Prime Minister Gaston Browne; Dr. Stacey Richards-Kennedy, Regional Manager, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and lead conference sponsor; as well as Dr. Curtis Charles, Director of Academic Affairs and conference co-chair.

 

 Ms. Shona Proctor, Budget Director for the Government of Anguilla [4th from the left] and Dr. Curtis Charles, Conference Co-Chair [5th from the left], pictured with an Anguillan Robotics Team.

Dr. Richards-Kennedy reiterated the ‘deep value’ of CAF’s partnership with The UWI. She noted that within the framework of the 2023 CAF-UWI Memorandum of Understanding “we have been working closely across campuses and countries to support the university’s contribution as a key partner in helping the region tackle some of its most pressing development challenges – through research, innovation, training, knowledge exchange and so much more.” Commenting on the AI revolution she said “The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is reshaping societies, economies and the future of work. This conference is important for creating a space for necessary conversations about how we shape our own path in this rapidly evolving digital future.” Over the past six years CAF has invested USD 2.8 million in digital infrastructure and digital public services across Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

 Dr. Stacey Richards-Kennedy, Regional Manager, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America addresses attendees at The UWI Five Islands, 2025 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) pre-conference reception.

 

The Antigua-Barbuda government also returns as a lead conference sponsor. Pledging government’s continued support, Education Minister Daryll Matthew also challenged the conference committee and the wider FIC to expand efforts beyond the academic community with the inclusion of an ‘expo’ component. He explained, “We are onto something special, but for many persons AI still resides in the bowels of academia. The opportunity we have is to see it become more mainstream but to do that persons need to see real examples — real examples of AI in education, health care, utilities management, road network design – and these are needs that we have in our Caribbean societies.”

 (l-r) The Honourable Daryll Matthew, Minister of Education, Antigua; UWI Five Islands Principal Professor Justin Robinson; and H.E. Ambassador Dr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN at the UWI Five Islands 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) pre-conference networking reception

While the conference officially kicks-off today, Monday, June 23, participants were already engaged in lively pre-conference workshops yesterday.

Education stakeholders were especially engrossed in a workshop session exploring AI in Education – Demystifying AI for Educators. It was hosted in collaboration with Khan Academy, an international nonprofit which offers free world class-education resources to millions from kindergarten, through SATs, MCAT and early college courses and focuses on skills mastery to help learners build strong foundations for higher education and career success. Alongside host, Dr. Andrew Hunte, Lecturer, UWI FIC, Khan Academy’s Vice President of International Partnerships Mr. Sandeep Bapna delivered a keynote address at the sponsored workshop.

 

 UWI Five Islands Campus Principal, Professor Justin Robinson welcomes participants at The UWI Five Islands, 2025 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) pre-conference reception.

 

A second pre-conference workshop AI & The Public Sector: Introduction to Chat GPT was facilitated by Ms. Gail Rolle-Greenidge, Lecturer and Ms. Kerrie-Faun Nathan, Assistant Registrar (Ops) both of the hosting campus.

Over the next two days attendees will present cutting edge research and participate in high-impact plenary sessions, expert-led panel discussions and AI Tech Talks exploring AI’s application in oceanography and the blue economy; tourism; cybersecurity; the public sector; climate resilience; and justice. The conference will also feature the first ever Caribbean AI Robotics Track targeting student researchers and innovators and featuring robotics innovations with the potential to address unique Caribbean challenges.

 

 The Honourable Daryll Matthew, Education Minister, Antigua addresses attendees at The UWI Five Islands, 2025 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) pre-conference reception.

Among the internationally acclaimed experts taking the stage is Mr. Tianze Zhang, Founder, AI for Developing Countries Forum (AIFORD) delivering a key note on Empowering the South 2030: AI for Inclusive Digital Sovereignty in the Caribbean. Mr. Timothy N. J. Anthoine, Governor Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; Dr. Rachel Adams, Founder and CEO Global Centre on AI Governance and Research Associate, University of Cambridge; and Professor Patrick Hosein, Founder TTLAB and Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering, The UWI St. Augustine will also deliver keynotes on AI’s potential to transform regional financial ecosystems, address inequality and drive innovation.

 

 Dr. Indrani Bachan-Persad, UWI Head, Economic Engagement & Industry Partnerships, UWI Office of Planning and Conference Co-Chair serves as Master of Ceremonies at The UWI Five Islands 5IR Artificial Intelligence (AI) pre-conference networking reception.

 

Interested persons can stay tuned to FIC social media platforms for conference highlights.

 

End

 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 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 Global 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. In 2024, The UWI launched a first-of-its-kind global online graduate business school focused on leadership within the context of supporting the SDGs.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

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