Alliances in Latin America

The UWI and UNIANDES delegations during the MOU signing.

University of los Andes (Uniandes)

A collaborative agreement with the University of los Andes (Uniandes) in Bogota, Colombia in April 2019, saw the creation of The UWI's first physical centre in continental Latin America under the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Sustainable Development. This centre enables the two institutions to jointly contribute to public policy and citizen empowerment for sustainable development through academic study, research, and intellectual engagement, with a focus on areas and issues of development concern and relevance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

In October 2019, Vice-Chancellor Beckles met with his counterpart, Dr. Alejandro Gaviria Uribe, Rector of Uniandes. On the occasion, the two Heads reiterated their commitment to this new framework for joint research and teaching in global comparative cultural studies, medical sciences, biotechnology and biomedicine.

Collaborations with Nicaraguan Universities

In January 2020, the Latin America Caribbean Centre explored possible collaboration between The UWI and the National Association of Universities of Nicaragua (CNU), National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast (URACCAN) and Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU).

An appeal was made by URRACAN and BICU for support with the teaching of the local English-derived vernacular in the Caribbean coastal communities of Nicaragua. Discussions were also held on the possibility of joint research aimed at the protection of the marine and coastal ecosystems, given the shared vulnerabilities of the Caribbean island nations and the Caribbean coastal communities of Nicaragua to annual hurricanes.

University of Puerto Rico

In December 2019, talks began between The UWI Latin America Caribbean Centre (LACC) and the Institute for Caribbean Studies (IEC) at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), on re-establishing the inter-institutional relationship between The UWI and UPR.

While a formal agreement is being developed, the LACC and the IEC collaborated on the organisation of the Fifth Gordon K. Lewis and Sybil Lewis Memorial Lecture, which had been scheduled for March 2020 at UPR. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed to February 2021. Vice-Chancellor Beckles delivered a lecture entitled "Reparatory Justice: The Greatest Political Movement of the 21st Century".