The University College of the West Indies

Today, the University of the West Indies is a full-blown, degree granting institution with seven faculties across four campuses and some 50,000 students! Fifty-six years ago, on July 1, 1962, it blossomed out of its initial incarnation as the University College of the West Indies (UCWI), which had been chartered in 1948/49, the same year it took its first batch of 33 pioneering medical students from across the Caribbean region. The UCWI granted its degrees through a special association with the University of London.

UWI graduate Dr Archie Hudson Phillips had a simple answer to how carnival emerged at the University College of the West Indies (UCWI), now UWI, in the mid-1950s: It was coming up to Ash Wednesday and the southern Caribbean students said – “Le’ Wi Play Mas!”
And that is the title of our new cameo exhibition, mounted now in honour of UWI Carnival which has migrated into the Lenten period and is this year celebrated at the UWI’s founding Mona campus from March 10 – 14. At Cave Hill, the dates are March 20 – 26.