UWI Graduation Booklet Draft

Award-winning BOOST Programme
The UWI Mona’s BOOST Programme won the 2021 RJR Gleaner
Special Award in the category of Education. The award was
presented in recognition of the conception and execution of the
BOOST Programme which is a “back-end incentivized scholarship
scheme” which was developed in collaboration with the National
Baking Company Foundation to respond to the urgent need
for more quality STEM (Science Technology Engineering and
Mathematics) teachers in Jamaica’s classrooms.

First Graduates of the Faculty of Sport
The first cohort of undergraduate students will graduate from
the Faculty of Sport in 2022. The Faculty saw eight students
completing their studies in Spots Kinetics and Sports Coaching,
three of whom will receive First Class Honours.

The UWI Township Scholarship
The UWI Township scholarship expanded to include three
additional communities in St. Andrew and St. James, allowing
10 eligible new and returning youth to pursue undergraduate
degrees at The UWI Mona and Western Jamaica Campuses.

National Business Model Competition
Two of the four teams entered by The UWI Mona, placed in the
top three, placing third and second, thereby securing a combined
cash prize of JA$1.5 million to invest in their businesses in the
National Business Model Competition (NBMC). They were Team
Swaze App represented by Carl Duncan (Faculty of Science and
Technology) and Third place – Fresh Fuel represented by Joshua
Anderson (Faculty of Engineering). They competed against 12
other teams across four local universities.

AMBA Accreditation
The Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) MBA
programme was re-accredited in July 2022, by the Prestigious
Association of MBA’s (AMBA) for five years, which is the longest
period offered by AMBA. AMBA’s accreditation is internationally
recognised as the global standard for all MBA, MBM and DBA
programmes.

Huawei Internships
Huawei Technologies Jamaica Company Limited welcomed
students from The UWI, Mona as well as other universities in
Jamaica for its internship programme. The programme provides
young talents the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills
into practice in different areas of the company. More than 100
applications from students from universities in Jamaica benefit
each year since its launch in 2019.

Global Student Prize 2022
UWI Mona student, Isheba Cornwall was shortlisted from
among almost 7,000 nominations and applications from 150
countries for the Global Student Prize 2022, which carries an

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award of US$100,000. Cornwall is a second-year student studying
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). Organisers noted
that Cornwall is an exceptional student, entrepreneur, advocate
for youth empowerment, and an expert in using social media for
the power of good. She is the founder and host of the Woman Up
radio show on NewsTalk93 FM, which uses the art of storytelling to
educate Jamaican women on how they can navigate womanhood.

Exemplary Contributions to Nation Building
In 2021, Professor Mona Kay Webber received the prestigious
Musgrave Gold Medal for her contribution to the field of Science.
In 2022, four members of The UWI Family received the fifth of the
six orders in the Jamaican honours system – The Order of Jamaica.
They are: Monty Alexander, CD, for sterling contribution to the
Promotion of Jamaican Music and the Jazz Genre Interpretations
Globally (Hon. Grad); Mrs Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, CD,
for outstanding performance in the field of Athletics at the
International Level (Hon. Grad); Professor Maureen A. Samms-
Vaughan, CD, for pioneering Research, Clinical Work and Policy
Development in the field of Child Health, Child Development
and Behaviour (Staff) and Professor Alvin George Wint, CD,
for distinguished service to the development of Public and
Private Institutions and Academia in Jamaica (Prof Emeritus).
Four members of The UWI Mona Family received the Order of
Distinction – Rank of Commander. They are Mr Michael Anthony
Clarke for his contribution to Sports in the area of track & field
(Retiree); Mr Antony Mark Desnoes Hart for his contribution to
Entrepreneurship and for Public Service (Hon. Grad); Professor
Mona Kay Webber for her contribution to Preserving and
Protecting the Marine and Coastal Environment of Jamaica
(Staff); Professor Ronald Edward Young, for his contribution
to the field of Physiology with emphasis on Neurophysiology
(Retiree). Two members of The UWI Mona Family received the
Order of Distinction – Rank of Officer, Dr Amina Blackwood-
Meeks, BH (M), for her contribution to the development of the
Literary Arts in the Jamaican Culture (Retiree); and Dr Myrna
Hague-Bradshaw for her contribution to the Jamaican Music
Industry. Dr Barbara Antonette Salmon Grandison received a
Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service, for notable service to
the Public Health Sector (Staff).

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CAVE HILL CAMPUS

Humanitarian Award for COVID-19 Student Frontline
Workers
The Government of Barbados honoured individuals who went
above and beyond the call of duty during the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Among the recipients were hundreds of
Cave Hill students who participated in The UWI-Government of
Barbados COVID-19 Evaluation and Testing Project (Operation
Seek and Save) and the Vaccination Drive.

Cave Hill Students Meet with IMF Managing Director
Students seized the unique opportunity to sit and chat with
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Kristalina Georgieva, in a town-hall-styled meeting in June 2022.
The event allowed students the opportunity to dialogue with
the IMF top official on the Fund’s evolving partnership with
the region, and on issues such as climate change, unsustainable
sovereign debts, and development goals.

Victory for Team Cave Hill
Team Cave Hill won the 4th China-Caribbean International Law
Moot Court Competition. The contest was held virtually from
June 10 to 12, 2022 and saw the Cave Hill law students defeat
their opponents from the China University of Political Science
and Law (CUPL) on the topic, Dispute Between the Republic of
Independent Marinnes and the Republic of Tranquilita on Maritime
Delimitation.

Students Create Database for Overseas Mission
Students of The UWI-China Institute of Information Technology
(UWI-CIIT) BSc Software Engineering programme created a
new database to aid the Barbados Overseas Mission to collect
information. The database facilitates the online registration of
travelling nationals and Barbadians living abroad.

Classroom to Boardroom Challenge
Designed by the UK Based EIA (Entrepreneurs in Action), this
challenge takes participants out of the classroom and fully
immerses them in the world of business by challenging them to
solve real boardroom problems. Twenty-one students successfully
participated in the challenge, following which, a few were offered
temporary employment and other opportunities with the Barbados
Entrepreneurship Foundation and Morgan Stanley, UK.

Medical Students get Simulation Suite
Medical students at Cave Hill Campus have acquired access to
life-changing training equipment that allows them to bridge the
gap between theory and practice and gain invaluable experience.
The Resusci Anne high-fidelity simulator and supporting equipment
located in the Cato Burton Simulation Suite at The UWI Clinical
Skills Complex, Bridgetown, St. Michael, were procured to
provide a safe environment for students to practice and enhance

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their skills before moving on to real patients.

Boost to Orange Economy
Aspiring musicians and music industry participants now have a
specially tailored programme to meet their needs. The Faculty
of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts – the Campus’ newest
faculty, introduced the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Major in
Music. The programme is designed to facilitate students in the
development of the skills, knowledge, and discipline needed to
succeed as musicians while gaining a critical appreciation of
Caribbean musical forms.

Bank Scholarships to Support Afri-Caribbean Trade
Two Cave Hill students were awarded internships with the
African Export-Import Bank (Afrieximbank). Ms Adiella Lewis
and Ms Brettney Romeo, master’s students in International Trade
Policy (MITP) with the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International
Trade, Law, Policy & Services, were offered the opportunity to be
based in Egypt for approximately five months. The experience
helped the students understand the bank’s mandate and its role
in expanding intra and extra-African trade.

FIVE ISLANDS CAMPUS

Launch of two New Schools
After a careful quality audit of the Campus’ academic operations
in 2019-2020, the Senior Management Team implemented the
recommendation of the Quality Audit Team to separate the
science and technology portfolios from the business portfolio
in the School of Science, Technology and Management. The
Management Team, after deliberation, agreed to establish a
School of Business and Management (SoBM) and a School of
Science Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SoSCAI). With
approvals granted from the various organs of the University
system, the Campus officially launched both schools in March
2022. Further, the SoSCAI received 35 scholarships from the
Government of Antigua and Barbuda to fund the first cohort of
students to the school.

Full Approval for Campus Registration with Antigua and
Barbuda National Accreditation Board
After just 18 months of operations, the Campus submitted its
application to the Antigua and Barbuda National Accreditation
Board (ABNAB) for full registration of the Campus in the local
jurisdiction. After a rigorous review process, The UWI Five
Islands Campus was granted full registration for three years from
the Board.

Grant of US$130,000 to launch Centre for Oceanography and
the Blue Economy
In support of the Government’s vision to diversify the economic
landscape of Antigua and Barbuda, the Campus partnered with

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agencies of the Commonwealth Secretariat to design a plan to
establish a Centre for Oceanography and the Blue Economy.
To seed fund this centre, the Campus received a grant from
Continental Baking Company Foundation (National Bakery
Foundation) in Jamaica to the tune of US$130,000. The grant will
provide support for project management and other operational
items to launch the Centre.

Launch of the Lifelong Learning Unit and Harvard COR
To diversify the revenue stream of the campus, the Senior
Management Team approved a proposal to launch the Lifelong
Learning Unit (LLU) which offers short cycle courses to the
market to assist persons to improve and upskill their credentials
for the workplace. The LLU was operationalised August 2021
and was officially launched later in October. In addition, the
Campus also signed an agreement with Harvard Business School
to offer their Credential of Readiness (COR) programme to the
marketplace in the OECS. This programme offering helped to
diversify the portfolio of programmes that are available through
the LLU.

Full Recognition of the Bachelor of Nursing Programme from
the Nursing Council in Antigua and Barbuda
After two years of operation, the Campus, through the School
of Health and Behavioural Sciences, prepared the necessary
documentation for submission to the Antigua and Barbuda
Nursing Council to seek its approval of the BSN programme.
After a period of consultation and review, the Nursing Council
granted the full three years of approval for the BSN programme
at the Five Islands Campus. This has now positioned the Campus
to attract international students in its BSN programme over the
coming years.

OPEN CAMPUS

Social Mediathon
On July 30, 2022, The University of the West Indies (The UWI)
Open Campus hosted its first ‘Social Mediathon’ under the
distinguished patronage of Her Excellency the Most Honourable
Dame Sandra Mason, FB, GCMG, DA, QC, LLD, President of
Barbados and His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, GCMG,
KGN, KSt.J, MBBS, PhD (h.c.), Governor-General of Antigua
and Barbuda. This event was held in support of the Campus’
Endowment Fund, which was established to provide scholarships
for talented yet disadvantaged students from across the Caribbean
as well as grants for developmental projects. This initiative was
spearheaded by the Campus Alumni Office and was organised to
help raise US$500,000/BDS$1 million for the Endowment Fund.

EON-XR Reality Training Sessions
During the months of February to May 2022, the Open Campus
offered University-wide EON-XR Reality, Educator 3.0 training

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courses for staff and students on the Introduction to EON-XR
and EON-XR Pedagogy and Curriculum Implementation. This
two-part Educator 3.0 course covers many features of the Eon
XR platform, including how to easily create immersive learning
experiences utilising 3D and 360 Assets. The training was
made possible through a grant from Eon Reality’s Educational
Foundation, as a part of its support towards educational
institutions in the post-pandemic period.

Regional Business Plan Competition
From the months of January to March 2022, the Open Campus
and Compete Caribbean hosted a Regional Business Plan
competition for the Community-Based Tourism sector. The
competition was designed to identify entrepreneurs in the sector
and encourage the development of innovative, community-driven
ideas with potential for expansion and increased community-
based enterprises. Two webinars to support the entrepreneurs
with their preparation on How to Write a Business Plan for
Community Based Tourism and a Business Pitch Workshop were
held. Twenty-two competitors from eight Caribbean countries
submitted business plans for the competition.

Overall winner Ms Chloe Walker of Barbados, with her business,
Rock Hall Freedom Walk Experience, received US$2500 worth of
technical assistance from Compete Caribbean. The web-based
CARIBAY business of Mr Cenus Hinds of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines won second prize and US$2000 worth of technical
assistance, while third place went to Ms Reffica Attwood, of
Wallings Nature Reserve, Antigua and Barbuda, with a prize of
US$1,400 in technical assistance.

UNESCO Transcultura Programme
On November 1, 2021, The UWI Open Campus launched a
partnership with UNESCO’s Transcultura Programme, which
seeks to harness diversity and build bridges between people
and cultures from different linguistic areas. The programme
titled “Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean, and the European
Union through Culture and Creativity”, was implemented in
collaboration with UNESCO’s Regional Office for Culture in
Latin America and the Caribbean and funded by the European
Union.

The programme, which was delivered in two phases, offered
12 Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) courses from
November 2021 to May 2022 using The UWI’s Learning Exchange
– the Moodle Platform. Course materials were provided in
English, Spanish and French, and real-time interpretation for live
sessions was provided by UNESCO. The programme included
participants from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,
Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, Dominican Republic and Cuba.

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Verifiable Credentials
During the period August to October 2021, The UWI Open
Campus issued its first set of verifiable credentials to thirty-
one persons from across the Caribbean as part of a Verifiable
Credentials Project being implemented in collaboration with
World Data, and funding from the Inter-American Development
Bank. Receiving verifiable credentials were eight students
who successfully completed the Continuing and Professional
Education Sport Broadcasting Workshop, which was hosted in
collaboration with The UWI Faculty of Sport and facilitated by the
Open Campus Academy of Sport (OCAS); and a cohort of twenty-
three students who successfully completed the CCRIF SPC/UWI
course titled Fundamentals of Disaster Risk Financing for Advancing
the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Project’s main objective is to issue 2500 verifiable credentials
by the end of June 2023.

The Culture Stewards CV Publications
The Culture Stewards Committee (CSC) falls under the remit
of the Campus Principal who is responsible for advocating/
championing an Open Campus Culture in alignment with The
UWI Core Values (CV) of Integrity, Excellence, Gender Justice,
Diversity and Student Centredness. In September 2021, a group of
Culture Stewards formed a sub-committee aimed at featuring
and promoting The UWI Core Values to the Campus Community
through a monthly publication called “Our CV”. Eight issues
were published over the year. These publications involved staff,
students and alumni sharing their perspectives on each Core
Value; tips, quotes, puzzles; and reflections, reminders and
other relevant content. The series of publications have been
well received by the Campus over the last year. To illustrate, the
themes addressed included, inter alia, “Academic Integrity and
Plagiarism” and “How Health and Safety Drives Excellence”.

ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS

Centenary Celebrations at FFA
The Faculty of Food and Agriculture celebrated one hundred
years of education, research and outreach in October 2021.
Formally established as the West Indian Agricultural College
at St. Augustine in 1921 – and subsequently renamed the
Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture – the St. Augustine
Campus received its first cohort of students in October 1922.
In 1960, it became the first faculty of the St. Augustine Campus
of The University of the West Indies. The Centennial Legacy
of Agriculture at The UWI St. Augustine was marked with a
grand launch ceremony and virtual panel discussion, featuring
a keynote address by Minister of Education Dr the Honourable
Nyan Gadsby Dolly, and a tree planting ceremony, along with
other events. A special newspaper publication chronicled the
hundred years’ journey, while a special edition of the Tropical
Agriculture journal focused on achievements over the centenary.

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Browsing Made Better
November 19, 2021 saw the launch of the redesigned campus
website. In addition to the updated layout and content, the site
features a responsive design and a programme search that allows
users to easily access programme information directly from the
homepage. The site’s architecture was also reorganised so that
information could be located more intuitively.

New National Awardees
Three members of the campus community were recognised at
the 2020 and 2021 National Awards Ceremony on March 7, 2022.
Campus Council Chair Ms Sharon Christopher was bestowed
with the Chaconia Medal (Gold) for her influential involvement in
banking, finance and business. Ms Gillian Macintyre, a graduate
of the Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management,
was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) for her
dedicated work in the public service. Professor Emeritus Winston
Mellowes, who led the Department of Chemical Engineering for
some time during his more than thirty-year career, was honoured
for his contribution to education with the Chaconia Medal (Gold).

Principal Matters
Former Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Rose-Marie Belle
Antoine, at April 29’s University Council meeting, was appointed
as the new Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the St. Augustine
Campus, commencing August 1, 2022. Professor Brian Copeland’s
extended term as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal ended on
July 30, 2022 after six years of service.

Return of the Fete
Following the hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The UWI
Development and Endowment Fund hosted its first event, Fete
Champêtre, on July 27, 2022. Fete Champêtre signalled the restart
of fundraising efforts to provide financial assistance to deserving
students. Tickets sold out days prior to the event. Since the very
first UWI Fete in 1991, over 3,000 scholarships and bursaries,
valued at over TT$18.5 million, have been awarded.

Welcome Back
Staff of the St. Augustine Campus returned to their offices in
March 2022 as the pandemic transitioned into the endemic
phase. To maintain the safety of the staff, offices were fitted with
protective shielding as needed, and rotations were introduced to
reduce the number of personnel that were sharing office spaces.
As the national mask-wearing mandate was still in place, the
mandate on campus was also maintained. Full in-office operations
resumed on June 6, and the campus saw its first cohort of visitors
at the Open Days from July 8-10, prior to the full reopening to
students for the subsequent academic year.

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