The UWI, University of St Martin Sign MOU, Marking Historic Solidarity in Caribbean

By Michelle Nurse Last updated Oct 16, 2020

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles displays his signed copy of the MOU between The University of the West Indies and the University of St Martin. (Photo via UWITV)

(UWITV) The University of St Martin (USM), after a decade of working in close partnership with The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus, expressed an interest in joining The UWI global system which includes joint centres with ten international universities.

The UWI Council discussed the concept note and approved it in principle earlier this year, asking Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and his team to develop a road map with a full proposal for further consideration. That process began with the signing of an MOU between the two universities on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and Ms Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet, President of the Board of USM met virtually to sign the MOU which marked a historic partnership, not only between the universities, but significantly for the framework for collaboration and regional development now established between the Dutch Caribbean and English-speaking territories of The UWI.

From left, VC, The UWI, Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles; President of the USM, Dr Antonio Carmona Baez; and President of the Board of the USM Foundation, Ms Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet celebrate the historic partnership between The UWI and USM. (Photo via UWITV)

As an Economic Historian, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles brought context to the importance of the occasion, noting that after 528 years almost to the date, of Christopher Columbus’ entry into the region on October 12, 1492, that this is “A historic and courageous project that seeks to reverse the legacies of the Columbus project, to put those legacies behind us so that we can go forward as one people, one sovereign nation, one civilization.” He identified that until now, the indigenous civilisation of the Caribbean has been broken and fragmented by imperial interventions. “This is a moment in which two universities have agreed to transcend all of these divisive relationships and to pursue that common goal which is to build capacity to strengthen the next generation and all the peoples of the Caribbean.”