Graduation 2023 Message from the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal
This past October, The UWI St Augustine campus celebrated Graduation 2023 – our second in-person Graduation since the COVID-19 pandemic. As The UWI celebrates 75 years as a university, it was only fitting that we returned to our beautiful St Augustine campus to hold the ceremonies at the Sports and Physical Education Centre.
Graduation 2023 was a grand and euphoric occasion. Not even the heavy rains that fell could dampen the excitement of our graduates as they crossed the stage and received their canisters, marking the culmination of years of perseverance and dedication. Over the three days, we were fortunate to listen to inspiring messages from our valedictorians. We were even treated to a moving rendition of Nat King Cole’s Smile by Baroness Floella Benjamin during her graduation address. Baroness Benjamin, Heather Headley and Lawrence Scott were among this year’s honorary graduates for their stellar contributions to their fields and Caribbean development.
Although graduation usually signifies new beginnings, for some, it brings anxiety about the next chapter. Unfortunately, it is not just new experiences, such as entering the world of work, that our graduates will encounter. The world they have graduated into is marked by instability and turmoil. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated already existing socio-economic fragilities in the region, which have been further compounded by international conflicts, rising inflation and high food import bills. Additionally, Small Island Developing States like ours experience the worsening effects of climate change and global warming each year. Apart from those external challenges facing the region, we have many social problems plaguing our society today. Suffice it to say, the tasks that lie ahead are not easy, but it gives me great hope that our future lies in the capable hands of our graduates who have left our university with the knowledge, skills and abilities to solve the most pressing challenges ahead.
In fact, there is no shortage of problems that require solutions today, and there are opportunities in every sphere of society for our graduates to make a difference. Our scientists and researchers at The UWI, St Augustine campus are already involved in groundbreaking and transformative work on a local, regional and even international scale. Their work has focused on turning problems into solutions, such as through research on Sargassum, development of climate-resistant products, and research on artificial intelligence and robotics.
However, much more research is needed to solve our many challenges and better understand our society, art and culture. Some of the challenges we face have already begun to adversely affect us in the country and region, such as climate change, food insecurity, and developments in artificial intelligence, to name a few. Although The UWI continues to generate vital research on these key areas, we must do more. Our very survival depends on it.
I encourage our graduates to consider the significant impact that research can have in addressing the numerous challenges faced by society. Research is not only an academic pursuit, but it can also act as a catalyst for innovation and progress in society. Therefore, I invite them to take the lead and venture out into their communities, get involved, and become invested in making a difference. This year, I was pleased to see so many graduates of postgraduate programmes from the various faculties. There were 1,607 graduates with postgraduate degrees, and I hope to see more in the near future.
As Campus Principal, it is my mandate to promote the valuable research our campus community is conducting and its impact on communities. In this regard, The UWI St Augustine campus will hold a two-day Research Festival and Principal’s Research Awards 2023 on the 22nd – 23rd November at the campus. The festival promises to celebrate 75 years of academic excellence and innovation with the appropriate theme 75 Years of Relevance, Responsiveness and Research Innovation for a Better Life, Environment and Sustainability. The two main events are the presentation of research findings and ideas, and the presentation of research awards.
We anticipate visitors from schools, tertiary institutions, state agencies, organisations and industry, and the general public at the festival. I also invite our newest brand ambassadors, our graduates, to come out and be inspired as our future researchers and scientists. I look forward to seeing them channel that youth, energy, and idealism into meeting the needs of our communities, in which research plays a vital role.
Once again, on behalf of the entire UWI St Augustine campus, congratulations to all our graduates and their loved ones on this remarkable achievement. The future is now in their hands, and I am confident they will shape it for the better.
