HISTORIC MOMENT: UWI Celebrates Opening of Five Island campus in Antigua
  The UWI has hosted landmark events to mark the historic opening of its Five Islands Campus, in St John’s, Antigua. The events began on September 1 and included a ceremonial opening on September 3.
The Five Island Campus is the fourth landed campus and fifth campus of The UWI, joining its sister campuses in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, and the Open Campus, in providing world-class education as a global university rooted in the Caribbean. It officially began operations on August 25 and began registering students for programmes across three schools: Health and Behavioural Sciences; Humanities and Education; and Management, Sciences and Technology.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles noted that “this is a matter of great pride for The University of the West Indies as it continues its onward march across the Caribbean, serving the development needs of our countries.”
He added, “The UWI was created to serve all our people equally. These are difficult financial times for the region but we must not succumb to self-doubt. Rather, more than ever we must stand together.”
Established to provide a development platform for Antigua and Barbuda, the new Five Islands Campus is also intended as a hub for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and will expand The UWI’s regional capacity to deliver higher education. The new campus represents the culmination of several years of planning and negotiation between The UWI and the government of Antigua and Barbuda as well as other regional governments.
Professor Stafford A. Griffith, who has been appointed as Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal from August 15, 2019 to July 31, 2020, will steward the campus in its first year of operations. A formal search is in progress to permanently fill the position, along with other major posts.
Formal launch activities began with a public ecumenical service at The St John’s Cathedral on September 1. Dignitaries included Antigua and Barbuda’s Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and Prime Minister Gaston Browne. Dean of the St John’s Cathedral, the Very Reverend Ernest Flemming, officiated at the service which began with an academic procession comprising principal officers of the university, including Sir Hilary and Professor Griffith. A ceremonial opening of the campus in Five Islands Village followed on September 3.
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