A UWI campus could possibly be established in China, says Beckles

A RECIPROCAL agreement has been forged following a recent trip by officials from the University of the West Indies to the People’s Republic of China which could see the establishment of a UWI campus in Suzhou China and the Global Institute for Software Technology establishing a campus in Barbados.

This was revealed by Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who says this is a strategic response to the global circumstance, in light of the protracted recessionary period.

Sir Hilary says this initiative could also provide a much needed economic boost to the island. “To have Suzhou UWI Institute for Software Technology, taking 200-300 students in software engineering, we could create a new industrial platform to give young people a whole new economy in which they can use their energies. We all agree that the Barbados economy and the regional economy need to be diversified. We are well situated to develop a software engineering industry in this region – our young people are good at it. They need to have the infrastructure in which to do so.”

All of this he told the media, serves to ensure that the University is prepared for the emerging global realities.

“It is a top priority for us at this historic juncture. We have made a commitment that in spite of diminishing economic resources, domestically and regionally to our university, despite the challenges being faced by our economies in terms of resources available for higher education, we cannot and will not allow our University of the West Indies to be ghettoised. It will not be ghettoised, it will be globalised. That is our agenda. That is our strategy.

“We will proceed to do this as aggressively as we can and by taking UWI into China, and bringing our Chinese university and entrepreneurial colleagues into Barbados and the Caribbean, we believe that is the way in which the University collaboration should proceed in the future.”

He said that these initiatives must first be approved by the University Council. 

“As soon as we get the blessing of the Council, the authoritative body of the University chaired by the Chancellor... we are full steam ahead so that next year we will very well see the development of these institutes,” the principal said. 

(JH)