The UWI and BCCI Renew Expanded MOU
22 September 2022
The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies have renewed their commitment to utilise their resources in support of initiatives that benefit both institutions and their stakeholders.
On Friday September 9, the BCCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Campus to extend and expand an existing agreement under which the two institutions collaborate in several areas including entrepreneurship, innovation, research, policy guidance, training and internship opportunities.
The UWI will sit on the Chamber’s Economic Advisory Committee, a think tank group that engages government in shaping national policy and decision making. The University will provide research to assist the Committee and will host a major policy forum of either national, regional or international nature annually in collaboration with the BCCI.
The Chamber will offer internships and other experiential opportunities for students of The UWI. Both institutions recognise that internships are critical to students’ development and will help them acquire the tools needed to thrive in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Additionally, the Chamber will participate in the campus’ annual Job Fair and World of Work events.
The BCCI will also partner with the Cave Hill Campus to help drive entrepreneurship and innovation as the Campus seeks to translate its ideas into commercially viable products. In particular, the Campus is looking forward to the assistance of BCCI members in developing new enterprises based on the research and creativity of UWI staff and students.
This latest agreement is in keeping with the campus’ mission to deepen its relations with the private sector. Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis, expressed profound gratitude to the Chamber and said he looks forward to a deeper relationship with the business community.
“The BCCI remains a valued partner of The UWI Cave Hill Campus. Post-COVID recovery in Barbados requires that academia and the private sector work closely together and take advantage of synergies to advance social and economic development through training, innovation, and entrepreneurship. I am particularly keen to work with the Chamber and its members to create value for ourselves and our society from the Campus’ knowledge products as we pursue our goal to become more financially self-sufficient.,” Landis said.
President of the BCCI, Anthony Branker, stated that the business community is in full support of the university’s efforts.
“Companies require workers/employees with the capability of producing innovation, and possessing the necessary skill set to manage, generate and commercialise knowledge. Therefore the university has a crucial role in the economic development of Barbados. The business community supports your drive to produce a generation of graduates that have the skills to harness the opportunities provided by the world’s growing economy for the local benefit of all. So therefore it gives me great pleasure to say the BCCI commits to supporting the efforts of the University of the West Indies in creating a world-class competitive business environment,” Branker said.
The agreement will remain in effect for a period of five years.
Photo Caption from left: Sandra Fitzpatrick, Senior Business Development Officer BCCI; Misha Lobhan Clarke, Executive Director BCCI; Anthony Branker, President, BCCI; Prof. Clive Landis, Principal, UWI Cave Hill; Prof. Winston Moore, Deputy Principal, UWI Cave Hill; Sonia Johnson, Business Development Officer, UWI Cave Hill
END.
About The University of the West Indies
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.
From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near
50,000 students and
five campuses: Mona in
Jamaica, St. Augustine in
Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in
Barbados, Five Islands in
Antigua and Barbuda and its
Open Campus, and
10 global centres in partnership with universities
in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The UWI offers over
800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in
Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and
Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency,
Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.
The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 25 for
Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global
Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s
Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
For more, visit
www.uwi.edu.
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