Life
Hilary Beckles installed as new Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies
“We need to see at least one graduate of our university and colleges in every household in the Caribbean,” he said, noting that the English-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region has one of the lowest levels of enrollment numbers, he lamented.
The former principal of the Cave Hill Campus said that apart from recovering from the economic crisis, the Caribbean is still “cleaning up the mess left by colonialism”.
He said as a result, those who played a part in “impoverishing the region must work with us in an orderly fashion in order to help us to achieve sustainable development”.
Beckles said developing partnerships in education, research and development is also imperative in this regard, he said.
The academician said he viewed the UWI as the institution that would provide its people with the skills and knowledge to reach this pinnacle of economic development and social justice as it would create the space for each child to grow.
He promised young people that the university would do everything in their power to provide a diverse learning environment for them because he believes that in doing so, these graduates would one day make the university proud.
But he also urged parents to encourage their children and provide them with a nurturing environment that would assist them in going to the university and once they help to get their children there, the UWI would provide them with the facilities and the curriculum that would lead to their growth. -(CMC)
