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UWI Wants Meeting of Caribbean Education Ministers

Posted by CaribShout on July 14, 2010 at 8:35pm

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – The University of the West Indies (UWI) wants Caribbean Community (CARICOM) education ministers to meet later this year to discuss a number of issues affecting education in the region, the UWI Vice Chancellor Professor E. Nigel Harris announced on Tuesday. Harris, who is leading a UWI delegation to talks with the CARICOM leaders at their 31st annual summit here, said that issues ranging from the proliferation of overseas educational institutions offering degrees toCaribbean nationals as well as the need for a “robust accreditation” system” would be among the matters to be discussed at the meeting. He said the October meeting should take place under the auspices of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSAD). Harris dismissed suggestions that the UWI was afraid of completion from those overseas institutions offering degrees to Caribbean nationals, noting that the UWI with campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, had a student population of 43, 000. “We fully know that we don’t want to turn the tides back,” he said noting that “what we want is our governments and private sector support programmes … that meet the broad human resource needs of our countries”. He said while he had no problem with these institutions offering degrees on a profit basis, “the need for indigenous universities are to provide values (and) this is where we have to be sure our region can support”. Harris said that while “competition is what makes you better” he had been receiving emails on a daily basis offering degrees, including doctorates within a month. He warned that the region “should not fall victim” to these types of offers. The UWI will also outline to the regional leaders, the efforts being undertaken by the regional institution to help earthquake devastated Haiti rebuild its education system following the January 12 catastrophe. He said UWI’s response to the disaster has been on several levels, including humanitarian, technical assistance, sensitisation and positioning itself to assist the tertiary education sector with mid to long term recovery and reconstruction. He said the university was also prepared to offer 205 places at the three campuses for final year students and post graduates in areas of study such as agriculture, civil engineering and urban development, public sector management, medical and social sciences as well as in education. “The UWI is deeply committed to working with our regional and international partners to provide assistance to the people of Haiti,” Harris said, adding that while “our natural link would be with the tertiary education sector, there are many other technical areas that are necessary for effective recovery in which we can provide technical assistance”. But he noted that of immediate and critical importance to the university is financial support for the students who have agreed to continue their studies at the UWI. “For those who will join us, we must provide the best environment for them to complete their programmes and in so doing, help Haiti to continue her rebuilding efforts,” Harris said.
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