A hearty welcome to all our new and returning students to the field of sport studies and the Faculty of Sport at the University of the West Indies. As you should know, the Faculty was only established in 2017 under the astute leadership of our first Dean, Dr Akshai Mansingh, who has played a vital role in getting the Faculty off the ground. As your new Dean, I plan to build on this foundation and our various programme offerings in sport coaching, sport science, sport management and sport medicine at both the Undergraduate and Graduate levels across the various Campuses of the University.
The Faculty was the brainchild of our Vice Chancellor, Professor Hilary Beckles. And, in providing the rationale for its establishment, he noted that its primary mission was “to demonstrate the potential of sport as a catalyst for development in the region.” Consistent with its mission therefore, the Faculty is concerned not just with the development of sport which focuses on the production of athletes, coaches and facilities etc. but also with the use of “sport for development” or “development through sport” where sport is used to help deal with such important issues like conflict, violence, non-communicable disease and gender equality consistent with global trends.
For most of its existence since it was first established in 1948, this University never had a Faculty of Sport like many Universities across the world, although there have been various programmes of study and mechanisms for athlete development across its different campuses. Your generation therefore, has the unique opportunity to be a part of something totally new to the region and make your own special contribution to its growth and development. Join me then, as your new Dean, in making this Faculty a permanent component of our University as well as our region as we try to harness its potential for our individual and collective development. The field of sport studies offers fantastic new career possibilities in sport and, on behalf of the Faculty, I welcome you again and wish you all the best in your endeavours.
