Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has described the University as “among the best universities in the West”. Sir Hilary was speaking during a presentation as keynote speaker at last week’s gathering of the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA). The 190-member body for senior University managers (Registrars, Chief Operating Officers, and Heads of Administration) in the UK and Ireland, with Associate Members in other countries, represents 140 institutions.
Recently appointed as a United Nations Higher Education Visionary, and tasked with imagining and designing the 2030 global landscape for universities, he called upon the member universities to step up their efforts to support diversity in hiring and promotions, and participate in joint global reparatory justice research. He also asserted that joint degree programmes with universities in developing countries should become a norm.
“No university can be excellent unless it is ethical,” he told the gathering. “And no university can be ethical unless it promotes global diversity within its framework of what is academic excellence”. In this regard, he noted that The UWI is both excellent and ethical and will soon be celebrating 75 years of promoting diversity and democracy in the Caribbean. “On this score,” he said, “The UWI is a global leader”.
Sir Hilary was invited to speak from the perspective of his recent selection by the United Nations as an expert in strategizing the future of the university sector and as the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Martin Luther King Global Award for Peace and Justice.
According to the UWI Centre for Excellence and Learning, the University of the West Indies now ranks in the top 5% of universities in the world.
The University broke into the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the first time in 2019 and is now located among the 1,258 top universities in world for 2019. Specifically, Times Higher Education ranked The UWI at 591 out of the 1,258 universities which made the list.
The UWI is the only Caribbean institution on the world-wide list.
Can somebody explain to me what is driving these public relations….(ummmm)…’maneuvers’ regarding this UWI Vice Chancellor & UWI?
While a university education may be necessary in certain subjects such as medicine and engineering(the different types), i’m realizing more and more that university education is largely an overrated thing.
Why is it more of the norm to find out that many of the powers, rulers and ‘movers & shakers’ in the world past and present either did not attend university or dropped out of university to pursue their goals?
Great job!!!! I could not afford to attend back then so chose elsewhere, but there is a lot of potential. I think UWI has to capture and document its students contribution to business, sports, scientific development, economic development among other things, on the region. That is important in demonstrating the value of the University. It is not just about providing degrees and education, but how that info is utilized to transform and improve the life and wealth in the region it serves. How it is used for progress and true independence. Before get to reparations we have to get rid of the mental slavery that dictate everything from elsewhere is better. Let the resorts be owned and operated by us.
BIg up UWI!! one of the 3 Alma matre. All of my Alma Matres rank in the top 1000 uni world wide