Departments, Specialised Units and Centres Highlights
UWItv
In 2022 UWItv celebrated its 6th anniversary as it reaffirmed its commitment and dedication to the region and beyond, in the delivery of public information, services, education, and training programmes reflective of the roles and responsibilities of the University of the West Indies (The UWI) as the premier intellectual engine of the region. UWItv remains focused on its primary objective to present critical analyses of the common issues, concerns and socio-economic priorities in our region and the wider Caribbean diaspora.
From August 1st, 2021, to July 31st, 2022, UWItv has continued to focus on a series of activities that are strategically in sync with the UWI Triple A Strategy as the region emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACCESS
A key pillar of this Triple A strategy is Access, which aims “to increase participation in tertiary and higher education for all with the capacity and desire to learn”. UWItv continues to provide access to credible knowledge and information through its multi-media platforms that allow a multiplicity of audiences to access UWItv's various media and communicative platforms.
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 was in the final stages of expanding 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 in time to broadcast the UWI Graduation ceremonies.
Finalizing our 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 statics conducted 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 emerges from the pandemic, in addition to public health concerns, the public is now occupied with post-pandemic socio-economic recovery. The UWI and its partners continue to be at the forefront of this post-pandemic scholarship and policy insight. In this endeavour, UWItv provides 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, have 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 through social media platforms
UWItv continues 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 provides an additional and more comprehensive platform that enhances the regional and extra-regional access to UWI generated content. This website facilitates the placement of live-streamed videos, recorded videos, public lectures, conferences, symposiums, faculty interviews and other pertinent events.
UWI Access through E-engagements
UWItv has employed numerous digital solutions to enable the continued delivery of information to the region and beyond. In addition, UWItv has 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
An additional foundational pillar for the Triple A strategy is Alignment which refers to “building relevant and value-added relationships with alumni and the producers of wealth and promoting government and non-government sectors and international partners by ensuring that The UWI's offerings are fulfilling the needs of the society it serves”.
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 serves the needs of government, non-governmental 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
The third and equally important pillar of the Triple A strategy is Agility. This strategic goal refers to “utilizing resources (human and physical) and capabilities to respond to the needs of customers, including alumni, in a changing environment, creating an entrepreneurial university with a diversified revenue base, improving the global presence of the University ensuring economic sustainability through global expansion, operational efficiencies and financial profitability”.
UWItv continues to incorporate an entrepreneurial approach to its operations by delivering broadcast and live stream services on behalf of numerous stakeholders. These collaborations have advanced knowledge and awareness globally of the Caribbean region and have further enhanced the global footprint of The UWI.
In addition, the UWItv partnerships are invaluable as The UWI can market its brand and highlight 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 |
