Statement by the 7th Chancellor of The University of the West Indies

It is with tremendous pride and humility that I assume the role of 7^th Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, my alma mater and one of the most significant regional institutions established in our post-colonial Caribbean. I look forward to working with the leadership, staff, students, alumni, governments and other stakeholders, to keep the light rising from the west shining ever brighter.

The State of Caribbean Development

As I look around our region and world, there are as many fissures as there are alliances, and we in the Caribbean and at The UWI will have to be very intentional about how we manoeuvre and with whom we engage in this environment if we are to survive and thrive. Global superpowers have been posturing for supremacy as traditional poles of power have been eroded. The impact of the Bretton Woods institutions on global trading and finance has not necessarily resulted in overall development for all, and nationalism has re-emerged as a real and present danger.  The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine also demonstrated very clearly that the Caribbean is extremely vulnerable to exogenous shocks.

COVID-19 tested many of the region’s systems and its collective leadership. The UWI too was forced to adjust how it delivered its courses, and engaged with its students and wider stakeholders.  I am proud of the way in which the institution responded to the challenge.  The expertise of the (then) Open Campus was brought to bear on training academics in emergency remote teaching techniques, and classes resumed at The UWI shortly after global lockdowns were declared in 2020.  Two cohorts of students graduated in 2021 and 2022 and it was true testimony to the determination of everyone involved that those ceremonies took place.  The UWI and the Region should continue to build on the lessons learned during the pandemic.

The countries of the Caribbean also face the existential threat posed by climate change. We have already, very early in the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, seen the significant damage caused by Hurricane Beryl across several countries. Even as recovery takes place, the rest of the season looms with uncertainty. Other challenges that this event has highlighted include food insecurity in the region, the internal displacement of persons placing additional burden on social welfare systems, and increased psychosocial stress among those impacted as well as among caregivers.    

The State of the Main Development Tools

It is not all doom and gloom. The people of the Caribbean continue to amaze me by their resilience. Before and after independence, leaders in the region have been creating development tools to assist in achieving human development aspirations. Three important ones are the regional university, an indigenous regional development bank, and a project intended to bring our nations together as a single economic bloc. It is imperative that The UWI, the CDB and the architects and drivers of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, work together to devise and implement strategies to foster Caribbean development.  There are reports that indicate that the region has rebounded to almost pre-pandemic growth rates, and it behoves us all to continue to work together to continue on this path. 

The State of The UWI

In 2018, The UWI entered the Global University Rankings within the top 5% of universities ranked that year.  Over the course of the next few years, The UWI continued to rise in the rankings and also demonstrated its strength in impact rankings. In 2024, The UWI remains among the top ranked institutions globally with areas of particular strength being its international outlook and research quality. This is not widely known or sufficiently celebrated. This outstanding achievement reflects the tremendous efforts of the leadership together with all staff and students, to keep The UWI relevant, globally visible, and on a continuous upward growth trajectory.   

While it is unclear the extent to which the region fully appreciates the reach and impact of the University, The UWI is very conscious of its role as a regional development institution. Seventeen governments in the region continue to support The UWI financially and participate in its governance modalities. There is also tremendous support from private sector entities, particularly in the area of scholarships for students, and for this I am deeply grateful.     

Since 1997, The UWI has been utilising five-year Strategic Plans to guide its development trajectory.  Steadily and purposefully, the institution focussed on increasing enrolment, improving student centredness, building its already impressive quality assurance reputation, strengthening internal accountability measures, and implementing internationalisation and regionalism strategies.  The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan which focusses on restoring financial health to the institution is essentially an extension of the 2017-2022 Plan that built out the reputation of The UWI.  The tremendous accomplishments of members of faculty in areas such as climate mitigation and adaptation, marine biodiversity, SIDS knowledge and advocacy, and the involvement of The UWI in regional development discourses, have ensured its reputation as a significant provider of technical expertise to governments as well as the place for preparing skilled graduates. 

I have been especially impressed by the familiarity of members of The UWI community with the three pillars of the current Plan – Access, Alignment and Agility.  I believe this signals a level of maturity in strategic planning at the institution, as well as a Plan that resonates with stakeholders. The leadership of the institution will have my fullest support as they strive to accomplish the strategic objectives set out in the Plan.

The Path Forward

It is absolutely necessary to forge and foster stronger partnerships as we go forward. The UWI must continue to play an integral part in the regional and global development conversation.  I have already alluded to the work being led by academics of The UWI on the national and global stage in the critical areas of climate change and adaptation. Our academics have also been engaged as part of CARICOM teams in negotiating an international treaty to safeguard our collective marine biodiversity. The leadership by The UWI for global reparatory justice has begun to redound to the benefit of some communities and countries in the region. The considerable work being done by The UWI in the SDGs and SIDS-related research will continue into the foreseeable future.  The contribution of our research and advocacy at national, regional and global levels is without question and we should be proud of what we have done and continue to do.  

Our alumni are the most visible outputs of The UWI.  They function in every discipline, at all levels, across the world.  I thank them for bringing fame to The UWI through their accomplishments and for their continued support for their alma mater. I look forward to working with them as de facto Head of the Alumni Association.    

In the spirit of fostering partnerships, I am eager to engage our contributing Governments together with the leadership of the University to hear from them how they would wish to deepen our working relationship. Their support remains essential for the continuity of our operations.

With regard to private sector involvement – many leaders of corporations are our alumni and I shall be calling on them to be even more engaged with The UWI in the future. 

Notwithstanding the many higher education institutions operating in the Caribbean, I believe that the Caribbean public is generally supportive of The UWI. This also extends to the Caribbean   diaspora. This is evidenced by the strong support for the annual galas held in New York and Toronto and I am deeply appreciative of the tremendous work done by the American Foundation for The UWI and the Patrons of the Toronto Gala.  Their ongoing support has been invaluable over the years and I look forward to their continued support in years to come.   

I end where I started, that this role is a signal honour for me. The UWI is an important regional institution and is most worthy of our collective support.  I look forward to working with all of you, our stakeholders, to continue to build The UWI.  Finally, I wish to thank Chancellors Robert Bermudez and Sir George Alleyne for their very kind words as I embark upon this leg of The UWI journey.

Dr. The Most Hon. Dodridge Miller