News Releases

UWI Lands Half of Caribbean Selections in Inaugural Global Digital Infrastructure Fellowship

For Release Upon Receipt - June 29, 2026

St. Augustine


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica, W.I. Friday, June 26, 2026—Approximately three dozen affiliates from The University of the West Indies (The UWI)—including students, faculty, staff, and alumni—have been selected for the highly competitive inaugural Resilient Global Digital Infrastructure (GDI) Fellowship.

The recruitment for the inaugural cohort is now complete, and notably, about half of the Caribbean fellows are connected to UWI. Chosen from hundreds of applicants across the Caribbean, the UWI-affiliated group includes 16 current members of the University community—10 undergraduate students, three postgraduate students, and three faculty and staff members—along with four alumni.

The fellowship, organised by the SubOptic Foundation in partnership with industry leaders and researchers from the Global Digital Infrastructure program at the University of California, Berkeley, aims to bring together participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds—including engineering, policy, law, economics, media, and the social sciences—to explore the design, governance, and resilience of global digital infrastructure systems. The initiative places particular emphasis on strengthening capacity in regions that are critical to the future of global connectivity, such as the Caribbean.

“Digital infrastructure is foundational to the future of our region. It underpins teaching and learning, research, innovation, governance, resilience, and economic development,” said Ms Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, at The UWI. “UWI’s strong representation in this fellowship reflects both the quality of our people and the importance of investing in the systems and skills that will shape the Caribbean’s digital future.”

She added that the outcome reflects the university’s strategic commitment to ensuring that Caribbean expertise and perspectives are actively shaping global conversations on digital infrastructure, digital sovereignty, and sustainable development.

Following direct engagement with prospective fellows across the region, Iago Bojczuk, Research Associate at UC Berkeley, noted the strength of the Caribbean cohort, saying, “The enthusiasm and knowledge that the Fellows have brought to the programme so far speak to the immense potential that exists across the Caribbean region. Their diverse backgrounds and commitment to meaningful connectivity demonstrate what is possible when emerging leaders are empowered to shape the future of global digital infrastructure. Their engagement highlights that resilience must be grounded in equity and sustainability—central pillars of our Global Digital Infrastructure Certificate.”

The SubOptic Foundation and UC Berkeley GDI team will continue to support fellows through a structured programme of learning, collaboration, and applied research, aimed at strengthening resilient, inclusive, and future-ready digital infrastructure systems across the Caribbean and beyond.

The UWI congratulates all selected fellows and looks forward to continued collaboration with global partners to advance regional leadership in digital infrastructure and innovation.

END

Noted to the Editor:

Related News: SubOptic Foundation and UC Berkeley Recruit Caribbean Leaders for Inaugural Digital Infrastructure Fellowship

Click here for more about the GDI Fellowship

About the Resilient GDI Fellowship: Funded by the Internet Society Foundation and built into the larger Certificate in Global Digital Infrastructure at UC Berkeley’s Center for New Media, the Fellowship is designed to build a Caribbean-wide network of emerging leaders trained to translate subsea cable resilience research into practical, locally grounded actions before, during, and after disruptions. The Fellowship offers a 12-week online programme with mentorship, collaboration, and leadership development, and runs from May 1 to December 31, 2026. The programme takes a holistic approach, covering the data centres where information is stored and computation occurs; the subsea networks that transmit 99% of data traffic between continents; and infrastructures such as Internet Exchange Points, Points of Presence, and colocation facilities, where networks are interconnected. The curriculum covers infrastructure components, business models, design and build processes, operations, and maintenance, alongside the impacts of digital infrastructure on economies, geopolitics, artificial intelligence, and the environment. Learn more at www.globaldigitalinfra.com/

About the SubOptic Foundation: The SubOptic Foundation (US) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established as the charitable and educational arm of the SubOptic Association. The Foundation is dedicated to research and education that future-proofs global subsea networks. The Foundation, alongside its UK counterpart, addresses critical skills shortages, promotes sustainable connectivity for the public good, and fosters an inclusive digital ecosystem through flagship capacity-building programs. Learn more at SubOpticFoundation.org.

 

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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