Points of Pride

Join the Tradition .. and show your Pelican Pride!

The "Sons and Daughters of the Pelican" can take great pride in the early history of their alma mater:

• The UWI was founded in 1948
  • In 1942 Sir Philip Sherlock promoted the formation of a local University College and a Committee was set up.
  • In 1945 the Irvine Report was accepted and a site at Mona was selected in Jamaica.
  • Dr. Thomas Taylor, a noted Biochemist was the first Principal
  • The first office of the University College of the West Indies was at 62 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston and it opened on Feb 1, 1947. It was then relocted to Gibraltar Camp at Mona, which had been the site of a camp for refugees from Gibraltar and Malta as well as German and Italian prisoners of war.
  • Oct 3, 1948 - The official opening of the Mona Campus with 10 female and 23 male Caribbean students entering the Faculty of Medicine
  • October 1949 - Natural Sciences opened
  • October 1950 - Faculty of Arts opened
  • 1960 - St. Augustine campus established from the former Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture.
  • 1963 - Cave Hill campus established (Law)
  • April 2, 1962 - the new Royal Charter constituting and founding The University of the West Indies was passed and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, was the first Chancellor.

Central Office: UWI Regional Headquarters - headed by the Vice Chancellor, responsible for all 16 UWI countries

Halls of Residence:

• Mona - Chancellor, Irvine, Mary Seacole, Hamilton, Leo-Rhynie, Nettleford, Preston, Taylor
• St. Augustine - Canada, Joyce Gibson-Innis, Milner, Trinity
• Cave Hill - Sherlock, Frank Worrell

Campus Colours:

• Cave Hill - Yellow
• Mona - Red
• Open - Burnt Orange
• St. Augustine - Blue

The UWI Motto - "Oriens Ex. Occidente Lux" - "Light Rising from the West"

The UWI Mascot - The Pelican"

"New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become" 
(Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions 1973)

The University of the West Indies is proud of its reputation as a leading research university. Our graduates and scholars have already made a significant impact, not only on our region, but on the world.  Our alumni include leaders of industry, governments and organizations around the world. "Research for Development" is our mantra, in support of the "enduring mission of The University of the West Indies... to propel the economic, social, political and cultural development of West Indian society through teaching, research, innovation, advisory & community services and intellectual leadership" (UWI Strategic Plan 2007-2012). 

To  learn more, visit the following Research Centres and Units: 

Cave Hill 

• Faculty of Humanities and Education
• Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination 
• Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences
  
• Centre for Resource Management & Environmental Studies (CERMES)
  
• Sports Agronomy Research Unit
  
• Horticulture Programme - Andromeda Gardens
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty Implementation Unit (FIU)
• Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLIC)
• Centre for Gender and Development Studies, Nita Barrow Unit
• Shridath Ramphal Centre - International Trade Law, Policy and Services

St. Augustine

• Faculty of Engineering
• Centre for Enterprise Research Integration
• Centre for Geospatial Studies
• Real Time Systems Group
• Faculty of Humanities and Education
• Family Development and Research Centre
• Faculty of Medical Sciences
• Centre for Medical Sciences Education
• Faculty of Sciences and Agriculture
• Analytical Services Unit
• Cocoa Research Unit
• Anthurium Research
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School for Business
• Institute of International Relations
• Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies
• Caribbean Centre for Money and Finance
• Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Governance Unit
• HEU, Centre for Health Economics
• Sustainable Economic Development Unit 
  
• University Research Centres & Units
• Centre for Gender and Development Studies
• Seismic Research Unit
• The National Herbarium

Mona

• Centre for Gender and Development Studies Mona Campus Unit
• Centre for Marine Sciences
• Earthquake Unit
• Electronics Unit
• Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies

Open Campus

• Consortium for Social Development and Research (CSDR)
• Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC)
• Cultural Studies Unit(CSU)
• Human Resource Development Unit (HRDU)
• Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute (HLSTUEI)
• Social Welfare Training Centre (SWTC)
• Women and Development Unit (WAND)

Research at the UWI must serve to provide a continuous flow of critical thought, scientific data and insights that can help policy-makers to make informed decisions on a wide range of matters with a bearing on national and regional development and the quality of life of our populations.