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March 2010
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From the Principal: The power of education
We have built an extensive community of alumni, academics, partners, supporters, friends and well-wishers, and through their collective efforts and support, this Campus has withstood the test of time. It is also because of the generous support of our regional governments and especially the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, that The UWI St. Augustine Campus has been able to grow and develop over the past five decades. In addition to serving our community, our commitment to regionalism is another unique and defining characteristic of our beloved institution, but let me say that the essence of regionalism goes beyond the unique and into the philosophical realm. For regionalism is premised on a philosophy that is noble. It subsumes values that are inclusive, compassionate and benevolent, values that promote reaching out, embracing and supporting our Caribbean brothers and sisters. This is a philosophy that has guided and nurtured my own life. Like many, I began my journey as a young, inexperienced—though, I thought then, witty and charming—undergraduate student. The UWI St. Augustine Campus soon became the anchor of my personal and intellectual development, the compass that steered me towards the pursuit of excellence in my chosen field and the wind in the sails that took me to later represent my Department, Faculty, Campus and University in places I had never even dreamed of, when I was growing up in Corentyne, Berbice, a rural town in Guyana. That was in 1969! That is the power of education, the spirit of freedom, to be creative and innovative and the potential for achievement by all, to which each and everyone here at the UWI St. Augustine Campus is devoted.
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Earlier this month, we launched the 50th anniversary celebrations of the UWI St Augustine Campus, and rededicated our Administration Building. It was a time of reflection, of restating our values and vision and I would like to share some of my words from that historic occasion.