Office of Global Affairs
The Office of Global Affairs can be classified as a centre of excellence for international engagements. The office has redefined its approach to developing new spaces for global engagements and access to financing to support the work of this region, its diaspora and the wider world. Over the period August 2022 to July 2023, the Office of Global Affairs (OGA), began to redefine its work and internal relations with the primary aim of enabling The UWI in achieving its wider strategic agenda. The office welcomed its new Pro Vice-Chancellor Global Affairs, Ms. Sandrea Maynard, in January 2023. PVC Maynard has sought to streamline the office’s organisation and functions, refine team member roles, and improve internal relationships which would anchor the OGA’s external relations and priority areas of work. While the Office remained steadfast in its focus to access resources, it also began to rationalise and deepen partnerships, with an increased focus on engaging in activities that are sustainable and anticipated to yield measurable impacts for the wider society. ALIGNMENT With its focus sharply on The UWI’s Triple A Strategy, the OGA continues to pursue engagements with a range of partners including development agencies, international universities, philanthropic foundations, and governments. Caribbean Development Bank The Digital Transformation Project loan operation, which was signed in 2021, is currently in execution and the Office of Global Affairs has been integrally involved in the overall project management since June 2023, with PVC Maynard chairing the Project Steering Committee and with Dr. Shakira Maxwell assigned as the project officer for its overall implementation. Both the Pro Vice-
Office of Global Affairs
Ms. Sandrea Maynard Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs
Chancellor and Dr. Maxwell have had face-to-face and virtual meetings with the members of the CDB and UWI project teams and coordinated the project meeting mission of the CDB team to the Regional Headquarters during the period October 31 to November 2, 2023 to review progress. International University Climate Alliance Given the continued importance of Climate Action for The UWI as an activist university and climate focused institution, in February 2023 the Office had introductory meetings between new Pro Vice-Chancellor Sandrea Maynard and colleagues at the International Association of Universities (IAU), Hilligje Van’t Land, the Secretary General of the IAU and IAU Programme Officer, Ms. Isabel Toman. During the discussion both UWI and IAU shared ideas and plans that would be developed further in 2024 to ensure that the climate agenda remains a key priority area for our partnership. The discussions also elaborated
on recognizing the importance of climate advocacy and diplomacy. This discussion proved pertinent as it demonstrated the importance of language in climate focused programmes going forward. Much of this work reinforced the already present reliance and perspective of the IAU on the regional institution as a Higher Educational Institution (HEI) that is a leader on climate action. Inter-American Development Bank The OGA coordinated its work with the IDB however, with the changes in IDB President and several changes to its Caribbean management structure in 2023, work was delayed. The Office plans to re-engage the IDB in 2024 to review the existing MoU and discuss the way forward in terms of advancing our work. IDB-INVEST The UWI and IDB-Invest continued to work closely in 2023 and The UWI was able to successfully launch the International School for Development Justice. After a series of meetings and engagements IDB-Invest
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