A classmate just sent me this letter from our Vice-Chancellor:
“It is with humility and a profound sense of pride and gratitude that I am able to share with you the very good news that our university has finally reached the top. This is the finding of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
The 2022 ranking results, officially released on September 2, show that The UWI soared above prior years’ results. This excellent outcome is achieved despite the budgetary challenges associated with the growing fiscal problems of our contributing governments, the financial difficulties of our private sector, and the aggravation caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ranking result shows that The UWI, from a global field of some 30,000 universities and top class research institutes, now ranks in the top 1.5% of the world’s best. This is an historic achievement and worthy of celebration. We have every reason to join with our global colleagues in marking this Caribbean journey to the top of the university world.
We must celebrate the visionary leadership and contribution of earlier colleagues on whose strong and dependable shoulders we stand today. I offer unlimited respect to you—the inspirational, irrepressible UWI community. We thank our governments especially, who have empowered their UWI through the good and bad times. Thanks to them, we are an excellent global university rooted in the Caribbean.
Despite COVID-19 and related challenges and disasters, the university’s management did not flinch nor did we retreat from our commitment to lead this university through whatever turbulence surrounded us. With your solidarity, we stood up to face the headwinds emanating from multiple quarters; we represented the culture of resilience embedded in our history, and we summoned our collective energy to propel us to this coveted place.
Congratulations UWI! We are at 1.5 and we are very much alive! Let us be even more focused and resolute as we enter this new academic year.
I take this opportunity to give thanks for the grace we have experienced while offering condolences and solidarity with each and every one of you who suffered loss and is experiencing illness.
This year we have declared to be the onset of the ‘Revenue Revolution’ in which we convert our top ranking global reputation into sustainable revenue. This is our core project for the foreseeable future. We will achieve this target. Yes we will.
Blessings!
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles: Vice-Chancellor
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