The University of the West Indies (UWI) today (6 January) announced a range of activities to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year.
The celebrations, held under the theme “UWI at 75, Rooted, Ready, Growing” include award ceremonies, academic seminars, sporting and cultural events, research exhibitions, benefit gala events and scholarships, all planned for each campus and each territory supporters of UWI.
“We have a lot to be proud of. We have much to celebrate…This 75th year will be packed with regional activity,” UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hillary Beckles said in his remarks at the presentation held in person and virtually.
Describing UWI’s 75-year existence as “a success as an outstanding global university rooted in Caribbean civilisation”, Prof Beckles said this success was possible “as a result of continued and committed funding as a public university by governments of the region”.
The UWI is partially funded by 17 governments across the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, January 7 will be celebrated as UWI Day, which was the day in 1943 on which the decision was made to set aside land in Mona, St Andrew, to create the first UWI campus.
A year later, the first cohort of 33 students was accepted to study medicine at UWI, Mona.
UWI is currently ranked in the top 1.5 percent of universities globally.
UWI Chancellor Robert Bermudez, in his speech, noted that since its founding UWI has produced more than 250,000 graduates from a wide spectrum of disciplines.
“Our academics have produced a significant body of excellent research that has informed policy at national and regional level. I believe that UWI has kept its promise. However, much more can and should be done,” said Bermudez.
The first event in the 75th anniversary celebrations is an Interfaith Gathering Service to be held in the UWI Chapel on the Mona campus on Sunday afternoon.
UWI has also created a website featuring a calendar of events and is inviting alumni and staff to produce branded merchandise for the anniversary celebrations.
