During 2008, our regional University will celebrate 60 years of service to the English-speaking Caribbean region. Over those sixty years, it has accomplished much of which to be proud.Above all, the preparation of more than eighty thousand graduates who have contributed in fundamental ways to every sector of Caribbean society and, in some cases, beyond the region. The ongoing collaboration between governments, academics and citizenry has
sustained the institution – from the Provisional Council Meetings in 1947 and 1948 attended by regional luminaries such as Founding Father and future Vice-Chancellor, Philip Sherlock, representing Jamaica; another Founding
Father, future University Registrar and Barbados National Hero H.W. Springer, representing Barbados; Acting Chief Justice J.A. Luckhoo K.C., representing Guyana; L.C. Hannays, representing Trinidad and Tobago; Dr V.F. Anderson representing British Honduras (now Belize); S.T. Christian representing the Leeward Islands; and G.H. Gordon representing the Windward Islands – to this University Council Meeting in 2008. Strength in collective action embodied in the spirit of regionalism has served to sustain us these many years.

 

During this 60th Anniversary year, that spirit of regionalism will be reaffirmed through celebratory events from Jamaica in the North to Trinidad and Tobago in the South, from Barbados in the East to Belize in the West, and further afield where there are graduates of the UWI.We shall be making efforts to re-connect with our alumni through our University magazine The Pelican and the Alumni Newsletter also by offering e-mail for life to all our graduates, beginning with those who graduated in 2007, and gradually rolling it out to earlier graduates.Having a more reliable alumni database, utilising new software technologies will support these efforts.

 

A special Gathering of Graduates will be held from July 12 to 18, 2008 which will provide opportunities for our graduates from all over the world, from all walks of life, representing all the professions, to reconnect with each other
and with their alma mater.