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March 2019
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On February 3, 2019, the St Augustine Campus was showered in champagne and gold as Trinidad and Tobago came together for UWI Fete 2019. An event so beloved and revered that it has become institution of the Carnival season, UWI Fete was created in 1990, devised by then Campus Principal and former President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor Maxwell Richards. UWI Fete was the original all-inclusive, premium Carnival event, offering partygoers the best live music, cuisine and beverages, and hosted on the sprawling green campus at St Augustine. 2019 was no different. Themed “Champagne and Gold”, this year’s fete continued the trend of the hottest performers of the season, food from some of the islands’ top restaurants and eateries, and numerous, stocked to overflowing, bars. This year’s UWI Fete also included massage stations and other outlets to pamper patrons. Much more than a fete
“We have provided bursaries valued at TT$17.7 million to over 3,400 students,” says Mr Nigel Romano, Chairman of The UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWI DEF). UWI DEF is the organiser of UWI Fete. It was launched in April 1989 to enable UWI St Augustine to provide scholarships and bursaries for undergraduate and postgraduate students to promote academic excellence, alleviate financial hardship for deserving students and facilitate student interchange between the UWI campuses. Romano, who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of JMMB Bank, says, “Today UWI DEF provides bursaries every year of TT$5,000 each to 200 deserving students and 10 bursaries of TT$15,000 each to exceptional students. We have also decided to create special scholarships dedicated to students who in addition to their academic performance excel in the area of sports and leadership.” UWIDEF also funds research in selected areas, endows chairs and lectureships in key disciplines and funds capital projects. The fund achieves its mission by investing its capital to earn enough to pay for its various projects. It also organises two events, UWI Fete as mentioned above, and the annual UWI DEF Golf Challenge tournament. Romano however sees much greater untapped potential for UWI DEF: “I really believe that the endowment fund can do a lot more. But we can’t do it alone. We have to do it in partnership with the (UWI) Alumni Association and the university. If we look at endowment funds for universities like Harvard and Yale they bring in billions of dollars. That’s because the people who went there recognise the value they received. The University has to do a better job of engaging with the alumni and getting the alumni to contribute.” Romano says greater outreach should also be made to wealthy individuals and profitable organisations to seek out philanthropic support. The UWI, he says, is well worth the contribution: “The investment made in my education at The UWI, a BSc in industrial management and an MSc in accounting, has returned thousands of per cent. It is the best investment I ever made and is still paying. I know that I am not alone and hope that many more alumni would recognise this and choose to give back. Their children will also benefit.”
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There is however, much more to UWI Fete. This event, which celebrated 29 years in 2019, exists to serve a crucial purpose for Trinidad and Tobago and the region. It creates educational opportunities.