The University of the West Indies is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving fifteen countries in the English-speaking Caribbean – Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Christopher & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines and the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

The University was established in 1948 initially in Jamaica, on the Mona Campus, as a University College (UCWI) in special relationship with the University of London, and it achieved independent University status in 1962. The St Augustine Campus in Trinidad, formerly the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, was started in 1960 and the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados was founded in 1963. In addition, University Centres, headed by a Resident Tutor, are located in each of the other 12 contributing countries.

Sir William Arthur Lewis was the first Vice-Chancellor under the UWI’s independent Charter. A native of St Lucia, he served as the first West Indian Principal of the UCWI from 1958-1960 and as Vice-Chancellor from 1960-1963. He was succeeded by Sir Philip Sherlock (a Jamaican and one of the UWI’s founding fathers) who served as Vice-Chancellor from 1963 to 1969. Sir Roy Marshall, a Barbadian was the next Vice-Chancellor serving from 1969 to 1974. He was succeeded by The Hon Dr Aston Zachariah Preston, a Jamaican, who died in office on June 24, 1986 having served from 1974.

The fifth Vice-Chancellor was The Hon Sir Alister McIntyre who served from 1988 to 1998 followed by Professor the Hon Rex Nettleford who served from 1998 to 2004. The current Vice-Chancellor is Professor E. Nigel Harris.