The University of the West Indies (UWI) is planning to establish a fourth campus.
Discussion on a proposal for the fourth UWI residential campus to be established in Antigua and Barbuda was among important matters considered at yesterday’s 66th meeting of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority, here.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who is Chairman of the OECS Authority said there was a presentation from Professor Sir Hillary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, in which they discussed the relationship between the University and OECS countries.
Dr. Gonsalves said a Task Force is expected to submit a report by April next year on all the various dimensions including programmes, facilities, governance arrangements and financing.
Meanwhile, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris said the coming on stream of this fourth campus will be beneficial for persons in OECS member states looking to pursue studies at the University of the West Indies both in terms of affordability and accessibility.
“We are looking to have better benefits in terms of the affordability and accessibility to our students. Antigua for example is fifteen minutes travel from St. Kitts and you can easily relate to that in terms of time, in terms of distance. So we are looking to grow the input and also to have situated in the region a reservoir of talent in which we could more easily call upon to provide the research work and many areas germane to us in terms of our development challenge and to get a more quick response to our particular needs,” Dr. Harris said.
“So we think that this is going to add numbers, have more of our people participate, give us greater opportunity to influence programming decisions in that the range of services would be sensitive to our particular needs”
The St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister said they (the OECS leaders) think this is a progressive step that brings the OECS countries more into the main stream, “we are not just that campus external to the University as many people feel, but we are principally now brought into the mainstream of decision making and action.”
