In an effort to address a shortage of trained professionals and high unemployment in parts of the Eastern Caribbean, the University of the West Indies has announced the opening of its fourth landed campus in Antigua/Barbuda from September this year.
Speaking at a regional press conference held on Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles said the campus has already enrolled 800 pupils who will do undergraduate degrees in nursing and education.
Beckles said, the campus which will be opened in an area known as Five Islands, will further development within the region as it will provide academic and technical opportunities for youths.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of involvement in the UWI by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
“While in recent years the OECS has registered the highest growth, UWI has been dissatisfied with the level of involvement by the OECS which has registered the lowest enrollment in UWI,” he said.
“This unacceptable circumstance is reflected in the OECS having the highest youth unemployment rate in the Caribbean. They constitute a threat in the region. UWI is concerned about this threat and the establishment of this campus provides us with the opportunity for corrective action,” he added.
Beckles explained that the 21st-century campus will be outfitted with technological competencies and will be integrated with the three other landed campuses in Cave Hill, Barbados, Mona in Jamaica and St Augustine, Trinidad.
He revealed that the newest campus will have a principal, schools and departments in the traditional way but will utilise technological services to hook the Five Islands campus into the existing UWI structure so that there will be the delivery of educational programmes at a lower cost.
He said while there will not be the building of a campus structure, the existing UWI open campus arrangement will be integrated to form the Five Island campus.
“The majority of the 800 students who will be enrolled for September are already registered in one of two UWI programs delivered in Antigua and Barbuda under a franchise arrangement with the Antigua State College,” he explained.
Like its sister campuses, Beckles said the Five Islands campus will “begin in a modest fashion but will rise to magnificent heights in years to come.”
“We urge the region to embrace this youngest sibling of UWI and work together. This togetherness is why UWI has been the number one ranked university in the Caribbean. This five island campus is a deepening of Caribbean integration and Caribbean confidence in action.”
Beckles commended the Prime Minister of Antigua for taking a bold step for the collective benefit of the Caribbean people.
Also expected to open in September is the UWI’s South campus at Debe. The campus which started in 2013 at a cost of $499 million was expected to be completed by December 2015. However, a shortage of funds affected construction. The Faculty of Humanities and Education and the UWI School of Business and Applied Studies Limited (ROYTEC) is expected to offer courses and programmes at the Debe campus from September.
