Chairman’s Statement
improved; and I remind the community, that the Times Higher Education ranking for The UWI has improved to be recognised among the top 1.5% of universities from a field of 30,000 universities around the world. The University continues to maintain its research output with its publications of 318 peer- reviewed articles and the hosting of conferences and workshops. The UWI Mona has been entrepreneurial with varying degrees of success, and under The UWI Group there are subsidiaries including: The Mona School of Business and Management; Mona Tech-Engineering; Universal Media Company Limited which operates Newstalk 93; Mona Geoinformatics; and investments in the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), among others. These investments have expanded the influence and brand of the University. The University continues to engage the wider society here in the Caribbean and around the world, with many faculty and staff serving on government and private sector Boards of Directors; this supports the development of our countries, and sets the stage for continued support for the University. The Mona Campus is also steadfast in its efforts to support students through the Office of Student Financing, and the work and efforts of The UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF), a foundation established by the Honourable Dennis Lalor. The UWI Mona has also continued to engage with thousands of graduates, regionally and internationally, to build a network of support to empower the people of the Caribbean region. Through its faculty and staff of more than 3,000 persons delivering its services, we are in debt to those who contribute to making the University achieve its goals. The UWI Mona is an important part of the Caribbean’s Development Agenda, as it is recognised that through higher education, we can achieve economic growth and impact the lives of many people in the region. The UWI, when assessed against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), is impacting every goal. I wish to thank Chancellor, Mr. Robert Bermudez; Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles; Principal, Professor Dale Webber; and the 3,125 staff members, for their contribution to “ Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era. ”
Rebuilding through Innovation and Adaptation
D uring the 2021-2022 academic year, The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus, which was established in 1948 based on a recommendation by the Irvine Committee in 1945, celebrated its 74th anniversary.
Hon. Earl Jarrett OJ, CD, JP, CStJ, Hon. LL.D, Hon. Ed.D, Hon. D. Univ, FCA Chairman The UWI, Mona Campus Council
For The UWI Mona, it was not simply rebuilding. It was also about improving the University to deliver its services in a changed world, by adapting the processes developed around technology and the freedom they provide, to impact the lives of many more Caribbean and international students wherever they were geographically situated. The rebuilding of the Mona Campus has begun, and the Report of the Principal provides details of the success achieved during this past year. The team must be commended for these achievements; but, we must also recognise that rebuilding is being done on a framework created by our founders and the many leaders of the University over the past 74 years. The arc of history will reveal that the University has demonstrated its resilience many times, including the impact of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and other less significant events. This rebuilding process will also ensure that the University will remain resilient to unforeseen events that will challenge the institution. COVID-19 was both a challenge and an opportunity, as there was innovation and adaptation strategies
The University opened with the Faculty of Medicine, and enrolled 33 students from across the Caribbean to provide higher education to the Caribbean Colonies. The University has grown to an enrolment of 17,865 in 2022 at the Mona Campus, and over 50,000 students across all campuses in the region. This significant growth over the 7 years, can be attributed to the careful building of the core infrastructure of people; both academic and support services; the expansion of programmes, faculties and the physical plant; and the support of the Governments and peoples of the Caribbean region. The past three years have been particularly challenging, given that global economies had to contend with COVID-19, a one-in-a-one-hundred- year pandemic that impacted the operations of the University in all areas, followed by the Ukrainian War which has restricted supply chains and led to sharp increases in inflation. It is against this background that the theme for this year is “ Rebuilding Foundations for the post-COVID Er a”.
that we have retained in the rebuilding process.
Rebuilding incorporates the impact of reduced funding from our sponsoring governments which, for all of our history, have been the major funders of our institution. The crises of COVID-19 and the challenges faced by the Caribbean economies have meant that the Governments, by necessity, have had to reduce their expenses, which has impacted our University. The Campus Principal will share that during the year, the income of the University was J$18.8 billion, 41 per cent of which was provided by the regional Governments. The Governments’ contributions have been reduced for many years, and the University has accepted that we have to become more efficient in the delivery of our products. This is evidenced by the achievement in the reduction of operational losses from J$1.3 billion to J$287 million for this reporting year.
To achieve the required funding, the University has ensured that its global rating was maintained and
UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022 8 UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022 8
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