The Daily Observer ( Antigua and Barbuda )
29 January 2024 ( Page 7 )
Professor Robinson officially inducted as UWI Five Islands Principa
By Robert A Emmanuel
robert.emmanuel@antiguaobserver.com
Professor Justin Robinson has been formally inducted into the University
of the West Indies as the
new principal of the Five Islands campus.
At a ceremony at the St
John’s House of Restoration
Pentecostal Church, officials
from the university, Governor of the Eastern
Caribbean Central Bank, political leaders and persons
within civil society came to
congratulate the new principal.
UWI Five Islands Guild
of Student President
Cedrick Park gave congratulatory remarks on behalf of
the Guild, stating that the
Guild was ready to work
with the new Principal to
create a learning environment for the academic prosperity of students.
“We the students, are
here to learn, to grow, to discover and to contribute to
society and the world; we
are here to pursue our
dreams and aspirations, and
to make a positive difference in the lives of others,”
Park remarked.
A native of St Vincent
and the Grenadines, and
noted economist, Professor
Robinson was approved to
serve this three-year tenure
last year, and will also serve
as Pro Vice-Chancellor for
Academic, Industry Partnerships and Planning.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the University, Sir
Hilary Beckles, said that
Professor Robinson was
“profoundly suited to the
task at hand” as the university has a “clear vision” for
the next steps in the development of the fourth landed
campus of the university.
Minister of Education
Daryll Matthew also gave
his congratulations to the
new principal, hoping that
Professor Robinson continues to help shape the regional education system.
“It is essential to recognise the significance of leadership in shaping the
educational landscape, Professor Robinson brings with
him a wealth of experience,
a passion for education and
a vision for the future that
aligns seamlessly with the
values that define our campus here in Antigua and
Barbuda,” Minister
Matthew expressed.
Professor Robinson,
who thanked his family and
closest supporters, noted
that the university challenges the notion of elitism,
and opens the door to equal
access to opportunities for
persons living within the
Eastern Caribbean.
“Access to a world-class
university education delivered by a Caribbean university, fully grounded in all of
the contextual complexities
of the Caribbean, I think is
one of the most positive developments on our journey
to date as a Caribbean civilization,” he said.
He noted that having a
growing complement of educated and qualified professionals will build a “critical
mass” of human resources
needed to navigate the dynamic shifts in society.
He also said that having
a university in the Eastern
Caribbean provided greater
focus on the Eastern
Caribbean environment as a
medium for economic, social, and scientific research,
providing those societies access to localised solutions to
the sub-region’s unique
problems.
“Being present in a
space, interacting with the
people, the leaders focus
your mind on the issues of
that society, and to research
them, which, despite your
best intentions, you cannot
do from a distance,” he explained.
He added that he saw
his role as crafting a model,
promoting financial sustainability at the university, calling on his UWI colleagues
to support what he called
the “revenue revolution”
ensuring fair costing for regional governments and
students, while maintaining
the status of being a worldclass institution. /