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Vice-chancellor's Overview

ACCESS THROUGH UWITV CABLE TV PLATFORM

As the region continued to balance the new normal and traditional methods of engagement, UWItv has been at the forefront of providing access through its hybrid approach. Through its operational hybridity, internal partners and external audiences were able to access quality Caribbean-centred educational content uninterrupted.

This access was facilitated over the past four years through the industry-academic partnership between FLOW and UWItv. During the period under review, UWItv finalised the expansion of its services from 15 territories across the region to include Belize and Guyana, with Belize a contributing country to The UWI due to commence its soft launch in October 2022.

Its agreement to expand access to Guyana is also vital to UWItv, as Guyana is a close ally of The UWI, and also home to the CARICOM Secretariat. With the impending inclusion of Belize and Guyana, these territories will partner with the UWItv transformation which merges classroom and living room seamlessly.

UWItv CATV channel’s reach is evident as FLOW statistics in the second quarter of 2021 estimated that the channel had a minimum of approximately 184,000 monthly unique viewers, with the top three viewership popularity in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados.

As the region emerged from the pandemic, in addition to public health concerns, the public was occupied with post-pandemic socio-economic recovery. The UWI and its partners continued to be at the forefront of this post-pandemic scholarship and policy insight. In this endeavour, UWItv provided access to this pertinent information through partnerships with entities such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), USAID, The United Nations Development Programme and other key actors within this developmental space.

During this period, UWItv, in collaboration with the Latin American-Caribbean Centre, produced the “We are Neighbours” series which provides viewers with access to various Ambassadors from Latin America to the Caribbean. This series sought to promote greater collaboration and information sharing between the two regions on matters of socio-economic concern. Moreover, UWItv also partnered with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to provide the region with full access to the proceedings on the historic event.

Access

Access through social media platforms

UWItv continued to provide greater access through its social media platforms, mainly the UWItv Facebook page with more than 30,000 followers and growing. This Facebook page has a considerable following and is strategically utilized to enhance visibility and access to the Facebook pages of the campus community.

Access through UWItv’s webpage

Similarly, UWItv’s www.uwitv.org website provided an additional and more comprehensive platform that enhances the regional and extra-regional access to UWI-generated content. This website facilitated the placement of live-streamed videos, recorded videos, public lectures, conferences, symposiums, faculty interviews and other pertinent events.

UWI Access through E-engagements

UWItv employed numerous digital solutions to enable the continued delivery of information to the region and beyond. In addition, UWItv extended the use of these digital solutions to enable stakeholder access to ongoing region engagement. These E-engagements have been particularly effective at providing access by including multiple languages to fully encompass the diverse Caribbean and diaspora needs.

UWItv – E-Engagements
USAID The Launch of the Research Initiative for Supporting Education in the Caribbean (RISE) The President’s Chat: Marshalling Finance for Development
Vice-Chancellor’s Forum on the Russia-Ukraine War “Geo-Strategic Perspectives: Interests and Implications” Sir Arthur Lewis Virtual Distinguished Lecture
CCJ’s Discussion with The Hon. Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders, hosted by Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine Women in Leadership: Achieving Equality in a COVID-19 world
The World Health Organization Press Briefing Broadcast – online and on CATV Vaccination PSAs – UWI, CARHPA, WHO and PAHO

ALIGNMENT

UWItv’s strategic methodologies are well aligned with developing relationships with UWI alumni and producers of wealth by providing a multi-media platform to share their research, publications, public service, messages, and perspectives with global audiences. Additionally, UWItv served the needs of government, nongovernmental and international actors through numerous strategic partnership arrangements.

UWItv Regional Organization Partnership
Durban +20: Reparations, Recognition, Justice, Development CDB Annual Meeting: Prosperity for Growth
UNCTAD-15 Side Events USAID Symposium Opening: Refresh, Renew, and Re-pivot for Climate Action 
UWI and IDB Memorandum of Understanding Youth Voices Rising – A celebration of the UN 75th Anniversary

AGILITY

UWItv continued to incorporate an entrepreneurial approach to its operations by delivering broadcast and live stream services on behalf of numerous stakeholders. These collaborations advanced knowledge and awareness globally of the Caribbean region and further enhanced the global footprint of The UWI. These UWItv partnerships were invaluable as The UWI markets its brand and highlights the institutional quality of the University.

UWItv Regional (Government) and International Partnerships
The Professorial Lecture Series Thought Leadership Series
Journey to the Top: the World University Rankings UWI Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
The Launch of its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development Book Launch – How Britain Underdeveloped the Caribbean: A Reparation Response to Europe’s Legacy of Plunder and Poverty by Hilary Mc D. Beckles