The University of the West Indies (UWI) has announced the establishment of a new campus of the university in Antigua and Barbuda.
Physically located in the community known as ‘Five Islands’, this newest campus of The UWI will be officially known as the ‘Five Islands Campus’.
The UWI in a statement yesterday said that in addition to serving the specific development needs of Antigua and Barbuda it will provide a hub to enable the greater participation by The University of the West Indies in the development agendas of the OECS.
In his statement, Vice Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles said that he was “… honoured to report that the Chancellor, Robert Bermudez, and the Council of The University of the West Indies have formally approved the establishment of a campus of The University of the West Indies in Antigua and Barbuda, within the wider context of the country’s membership of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).”
Sir Hilary pointed out that in recent decades several studies have shown that The University of the West Indies has underperformed within the OECS sub region. “The nations that constitute this integrated community are founders and original chartered members of the University. However, they have not had the benefit of full access to the University’s brand that is theirs, within national and sub-regional development strategies.”
According to the Vice Chancellor, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda placed its case before The University of the West Indies, inviting its greater involvement in the development affairs of the country and sub region. He added, “For the University, this request was simultaneously a practical, financial and ethical matter.”
The Vice Chancellor stated that while in recent years the OECS registered amongst the highest rates of economic growth in the region, The University of the West Indies has remained dissatisfied with the level of its contribution to the development of the higher education and professional training sectors. He noted that the OECS records the lowest rates of youth tertiary education enrolment in the Caribbean, and indeed the hemisphere and that this unacceptable circumstance is reflected in some of the highest youth unemployment rates in the region.
“Together”, he said, “they constitute a real threat to sustained development in the sub region. The UWI community long concerned about this reality within the OECS family, welcomes this glorious moment that provides it with an opportunity for corrective action.”
Sir Hilary said that in 2017, the Council of The University of the West Indies received a presentation from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda calling for the establishment of a 21st century, fit for purpose campus, to promote national and sub-regional economic and social development, with a focus on the robust expansion of its social capital. The Council, in response, established a Task Force to conduct a Feasibility Study under the co-chairmanship of Pro Vice-Chancellors Professor Alan Cobley and Professor Densil Williams. He added that the Task Force submitted its report in March 2019, and recommended the creation of a campus, designed specifically to meet the needs of Antigua and Barbuda, and the OECS sub region, on the basis of projected financial feasibility. Critically, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, provided the Task Force with financial data and evidence of its policy intent, illustrating its ability to meet the financial operations of the campus.
The Report recommended to Council, the establishment of the campus within defined guidelines outlined for programme and facilities development. Council in accepting the recommendation of the Task Force, has further instructed management to establish an Implementation Commi-ttee that will proceed immediately to craft and guide the creation of the Five Island Campus.
The Five Islands Campus will begin admitting its first cohort of some 800 students in September 2019. The majority of these 800 students are already registered in levels 1 and 2 of The University of the West Indies programmes currently being delivered in Antigua under a franchise agreement at the Antigua State Community College, and other tertiary level institutions. These students will be invited to transition over to the Five Islands Campus.
According to the Vice Chancellor, “This is an historic moment in the development of the Caribbean community, in Antigua and Barbuda, the OECS, and for The University of the West Indies that is committed to serving the needs of its chartered members, and the entire region. Like its sister campuses – Mona, St. Augustine, Cave Hill, and the Open Campus – the Five Islands Campus will begin in a modest fashion, and will no doubt soar to magnificent heights in the years to come.”
“It is a future to be crafted by us all. In this regard we urge the region to embrace this youngest sibling of The UWI, in much the same way that it has developed and celebrated other campuses. This is why The UWI has become the number one ranked University in the Caribbean,” he added.
In a word of caution, the Vice Chancellor noted, “Our solidarity will now be required, more than ever, as we build a campus befitting the excellence of The University of the West Indies. With this action, the people of our region, the youth especially, will be better served.”
