News Releases

Official UWI statement on the passing of Barbados PM David Thompson

For Release Upon Receipt - October 26, 2010

St. Augustine


 

ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad And Tobago – The University of the West Indies (UWI) mourns along with the people of Barbados and the Caribbean the loss of Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. David Thompson.  In his short term in office as Prime Minister of Barbados, he was impressive in the demonstration of his deep commitment to the development of his country and the region. His thoughtful and impactful interventions in various fora were insightful and fully appreciated. He was unswerving in his service to Barbados to the very end.   

The region has lost an outstanding son whose promise as a great leader has only sharpened the sense of loss, not only in his country but throughout the West Indies.   As an outstanding alumnus of the University of the West Indies who served in various capacities, as President of the Guild of Students, as a member of academic staff and more recently as Chair of our University Grants Committee, David Thompson was unstinting in his support of our own efforts to advance the region’s development interests at home and in the wider global community. He demonstrated a singular readiness to go that extra mile for the University, travelling to London in September 2009 to play a lead role in launching the British Foundation for the University of the West Indies and lending his presence to the Annual UWI Gala in New York organised by the American Foundation for the UWI.  His leadership skills, commitment, caring, sense of fairness and good sense are attributes we wish our students to emulate.  We shall miss him deeply. 

To his wife Mara and their daughters, we offer our prayers and hope that the collective love of Barbadians throughout the region and across the world will embrace and sustain them at this time of loss.  

For the latest UWI News, click http://sta.uwi.edu/news.

 

About UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

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