News Releases

MTEST, UWI and UTT Sign Strategic MOUs

For Release Upon Receipt - June 10, 2026

St. Augustine


Agreements strengthen national capacity in engineering, energy, environment, biosciences and veterinary medicine while creating new opportunities for students and graduates

 In a major step toward strengthening Trinidad and Tobago’s tertiary education, research and innovation ecosystem, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and The University of Trinidad and Tobago have signed a suite of Memoranda of Understanding designed to expand student opportunities, deepen institutional collaboration and accelerate applied research in areas critical to national and regional development.

 (L-R) Professor Rean Maharaj, Acting President of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), and Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus, exchange a handshake following the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as Senator Professor Emeritus the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, looks on during the UWI–UTT MoU signing ceremony held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Office of the Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine.

  The agreements create a collaborative framework across key disciplines, including mechanical and manufacturing engineering, mechatronics and innovation, chemical engineering, energy and the environment, biosciences and veterinary medicine. Together, they position both universities to deliver more integrated academic, research and training opportunities while supporting the development of graduates who are better prepared for industry, entrepreneurship, innovation and public service.

 Senator Emeritus Professor the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training emphasised the need for both universities to work together for the benefit of the country, citing strategic partnerships between the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture and the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry; former iterations of UWI and UTT, respectively.

 Senator Professor Emeritus the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, delivers remarks during the official UWI–UTT Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Office of the Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine.

 This view was shared by Emeritus Professor Selwyn R. Cudjoe, O.R.T.T., Executive Chairman, UTT, who, in his remarks at the ceremony, stated “both institutions possess significant expertise that can be leveraged for greater national good.”

 

 Professor Selwyn Cudjoe, Chairman of the Board of Governors at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), delivers remarks during the official UWI–UTT Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Office of the Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine.

  Under the MOUs, The UWI and UTT will work together to increase research, educational and training opportunities for students and graduates through joint academic programming, shared expertise, research collaboration, student projects, internships, exchanges, electives, practicum opportunities, seminars, workshops, conferences and joint grant proposals.

 Extolling the benefits of the agreement, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine stated that The UWI’s, “relationship with UTT has in fact been longstanding and fruitful, and this occasion marks a deepening of that relationship… It is a partnership we are proud of – one in which the national interest takes precedence over institutional boundaries as we prepare our students, support industry and shape solutions for the country and wider region.”

 

 Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine, delivers her address at the official UWI–UTT Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Office of the Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine.

 

 A central feature of the relationship is its emphasis on applied learning. In mechanical and manufacturing engineering, the partnership will support the design and delivery of new academic programmes, particularly in mechatronics, innovation and related interdisciplinary fields.

 Commenting on the relevance of mechatronics, Professor Antoine shared that “it is one of the fastest growing fields shaping modern industry” and that “collaboration in this area allows institutions like ours to pool expertise, strengthen research capacity and better prepare students and policy makers to develop the technologies and solutions on which our country and region will increasingly depend.”

 It will also promote shared facilities and laboratories, capstone projects and applied research that connect classroom learning to real-world problem solving, strengthening graduate readiness and employability. The chemical engineering and energy collaboration renews an established relationship between the institutions and will support joint work in energy and the environment, including strategic proposals, mutually beneficial projects, workshops and training.

 In veterinary medicine and biosciences, the MOU between The UWI’s School of Veterinary Medicine and UTT’s Centre for Biosciences, Agriculture and Food Technologies provides a platform for joint study and training, student internships and exchanges, education abroad, joint supervision and teaching, professional development, public education and collaborative grant activity.

 The partnership also provides for structured implementation through institutional representatives and committees, with activities to be developed by mutual agreement and aligned with the policies and priorities of both universities. The signing underscores a shared commitment to building a more collaborative, responsive and future-focused tertiary education sector. By aligning academic expertise, research infrastructure and student-centred opportunities, The MTEST, UWI and UTT are strengthening the bridge between higher education, national development and the evolving needs of industry and society.

 

 (Centre, L-R) Professor Rean Maharaj, Acting President of UTT; Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine; and Senator Professor Emeritus the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, display the signed Memorandum of Understanding alongside colleagues following the official UWI–UTT MoU signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Office of the Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine.

 

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About The University of the West Indies

 

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.

Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts 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, along with international centres in partnership with universities across 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 leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.

 

Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE's prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISDJ), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.

 

The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.

 

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