LACC has been advancing the strategic globalisation agenda of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) by building bridges, opening doors and fostering relations with institutions and networks of higher education throughout the Americas and across the Atlantic to the Ibero-American countries of Europe. The Centre has created new avenues for joint research, mobility and targeted collaborations.
Given the regional and international scope of the work carried out by LACC, it contributes to the development of partnerships and to the expansion of tertiary education as envisioned under the Agility and Access pillars of The UWI Triple “A” Strategy 2017–2022.
In April 2019 The UWI and the University of the Andes (Uniandes) entered into three agreements, committing to a multifaceted and broad-ranging partnership. The Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Sustainable Development was established along with a nuanced collaboration in cultural studies, medical sciences and biotechnology research.
During the period under review (2021–2022) LACC continued its coordination, inviting UWI academics and faculties to participate in specific activities. As a result, LACC, in close collaboration with Uniandes’ Office for International Affairs, brought together experts from both universities in cannabis research and neonatology to identify counterparts and develop a plan of action. Participating were the three UWI Faculties of Medical Sciences (Mona, Cave Hill and St. Augustine) and the Uniandes School of Medicine, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, and Centre for Drug and Safety Studies. This collaboration continues in the development phase.
LACC also pursued the implementation of the undertakings in the Memorandum of Understanding on cultural studies. To this end, LACC promoted the MOU with the Institute of Caribbean Studies and Reggae Studies Unit (Mona Campus) and coordinated discussions between the Institute and the Uniandes Department of Languages and Culture between March and April 2022. Agreement was reached on a professor mobility initiative which would include two guest lectures per academic year from each university. This series of consultations culminated successfully with the delivery of the Stuart Hall Memorial Lecture at The UWI Mona Institute for Cultural Studies on May 6, 2022, by Dr. Juan Ricardo Aparicio, Associate Professor of the Department of Languages and Culture at Uniandes. LACC also played a participatory role in the inauguration of the lecture, delivering Opening Remarks on the context of The UWI-Uniandes partnership.
In December 2019, The UWI and the University of Havana established the Joint Centre for the Sustainable Development of the Caribbean, covering Solutions to Endemic Health Challenges in the Caribbean; History and Reparatory Justice; and Renewable Energy. LACC has a coordination role in the development of the Centre and participates in related activities led by the University of Havana. While joint research and teaching projects are in discussion, the partnership has been manifested through activities such as guest lectures:
At the invitation of the University of Havana, the LACC Director served as a panellist at the 13th International Congress of Higher Education University 2022, held under the theme “University and Innovation for Sustainable and Inclusive Development". Ambassador Bristol participated online in the Forum "Higher Education and COVID-19” where the discussion focussed on the topic “Universities as Social Actors in the Fight against COVID-19”. Her presentation highlighted The UWI’s undertaking as a responsible social actor in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and informed the Congress of the several ways in which The UWI applied its research expertise and network of experts to assist in the regional response to COVID-19, including through the establishment of The UWI COVID-19 Task Force.
The Congress was held in Havana, Cuba from February 7th ─11th, 2022, in a hybrid format (virtual and face-to-face) and attended by academicians, professors and students with a view to dialogue, exchanges and reflection on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education. The LACC presentation brought to their attention the scientific research and expertise of The UWI’s scholars and, in particular, as it related to the pandemic. It was expected that the Congress would contribute to the collective construction of a roadmap of higher education for 2030.
LACC serves as the coordinator of The UWI’s involvement in the Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC) which involves representing The UWI on the working group which manages the HUC agenda, the promotion of initiatives, projects and opportunities and monitoring of project implementation. In this regard, the LACC Director participates in the regular meetings of the steering committee “Working Group of Member Universities’ Representatives”; serves as the liaison between the HUC and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor regarding the participation of the Vice-Chancellor in governance meetings (General Assembly and Executive Council); and advises the Vice-Chancellor on issues to be discussed.
Following is a synopsis of the initiatives and projects in which The UWI participated during the current reporting period:
LACC coordinated the preparation and submission in July 2022 of the research products of The UWI, compiled by the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research. The Innovation Observatory functions as an online platform where HUC members can explore new fields of collaboration by sharing their major research projects, facilities, capacity-building programmes, as well as their annual R&D reports. The UWI report covered 41 projects related to climate change, sustainability and resilience, public health and well-being, entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation, as well as crime, conflict and corruption.
It is to be noted that the UWI submission was not uploaded to the HUC website due to an ongoing revision by the HUC Secretariat.
LACC coordinated the creation of this partnership and invited UWI experts to participate. Dr. David Smith, Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Coordinator of the Institute for Sustainable Development is the UWI lead on this project and LACC continues to monitor its progress.
The LACC Director represents The UWI at the Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUALC), including on the Executive Council on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, who served until November 2022 as Alternate Vice-President for the Caribbean region.
As of November 2022, the acronym of this organisation, “UDUAL”, was formally amended by the General Assembly of the Union and is now UDUALC. This amendment is based on a proposal put forward by the LACC Director on behalf of The UWI, specifically to add the letter “C” in reference to the Caribbean as stated in the full name of the Union. That proposal was successfully tabled in February 2020 at the Executive Council meeting hosted by the Vice-Chancellor at The UWI’s Regional Headquarters.
This is an achievement of great significance for The UWI on behalf of the English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories which it serves, as it elevates the visibility of the region as integral and of equal standing within the membership of the Union, raises the Caribbean profile within the Union and speaks to the inclusivity envisioned for the Union at its creation 75 years ago. The LACC Director continued to follow the consultation process and work undertaken by the General Secretariat to prepare the legal documents to effect this change. Her involvement included participation in the December 2021 Virtual XCVII Regular Meeting of the Executive Council, where the date was set for the holding of a Special General Assembly of UDUAL in November 2022 to approve the amendment.
In March 2022, the LACC Director, in representation of the Vice-Chancellor’s Vice-Presidency for the Caribbean, attended the VII Meeting of the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico Regions (University of Panama, Panama City). Discussions focussed on the current priority challenges facing universities in the region and members shared their respective responses. Of particular note for The UWI and its international
ranking, is the new agenda item proposed by the Secretary General of UDUALC, Dr. Roberto Escalante, aimed at ensuring relevance in the ranking criteria. Central to his proposal was the notion that universities especially in Latin America and the Caribbean play an important role in social development. Participants at this regional meeting agreed with this proposal that universities’ contributions to social development should be a criterion in evaluating and ranking and endorsed the Secretary General’s engagement with ranking institutions to this end.
The Permanent Academic Forum of Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe (FAP ALC-EU) was established to pursue an initiative to create a common area for higher education, science, technology and innovation between these region, as inspired by the First Summit of Heads of State and Government of LAC-EU (1999, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Members of the academic community of both regions decided to contribute to the creation of this joint effort and held the First LAC-EU Academic Summit (22–23 January, 2013, Santiago, Chile) where the FAP ALC-UE was established.
Since 2017, the LACC Director has represented the Vice-Chancellor at Summits and Council meetings of the FAP ALC-UE. During the reporting period, in February 2022, the LACC Director participated as a special invitee representing The UWI and the Caribbean in the online seminar "Building a Common Euro-Latin American and Caribbean Space for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation”. Her remarks provided a unique insight from the Caribbean perspective on higher education and the value of a common space in higher education between the two regions LAC and EU.
The diplomatic missions of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) in Jamaica, constitute a vital network for LACC’s engagement in the region which has resulted in numerous beneficial projects over the years. Under the current LACC leadership, the following are notable:
In recognition of The UWI’s leadership role in higher education policy and execution in CARICOM, the LACC Director was invited to represent The UWI at the “Knowledge Fair” hosted by the Government of Colombia to share that country’s successful experiences with Caribbean countries. The conference was hosted by the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC-Colombia) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 26th and 27th, 2022.
Working groups focussed on four thematic areas with a view to identifying, formulating and building consensus on initiatives and projects of mutual interest under the Colombian Government’s South-South cooperation agenda during the period 2022–2023:
The seminar served to provide invited governments and The UWI with information on models for potential cooperation in each of these areas. The LACC Director participated in the Working Group on Climate Change given the global leadership role of The UWI in climate advocacy and action. Follow-up virtual sessions to expand on these models in all four categories were slated for the second semester of 2022. LACC participated in several of these sessions beginning in July 2022, reiterated The UWI’s interest in supporting this cooperation effort and informed about UWI expertise in related project development and implementation. The definition of the specific UWI role in the realisation of this Colombia-Caribbean cooperation initiative is pending confirmation from APC-Colombia.
The Embassy of the Dominican Republic staged a series of webinars and virtual panel discussions to mark the 57th anniversary of its bilateral relationship with Jamaica. As part of this commemoration, LACC was invited to collaborate with the Embassy in the organisation and hosting of an academic conference "Consolidating 57 years of Friendship between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic: Collaboration and Innovation for the Future", held on 13th December, 2021.
High-level support for the conference was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, the Embassy of Jamaica in the Dominican Republic, the Institute of Higher Education in Diplomatic and Consular Training (INESDYC), and the Institute of Higher Education in Diplomatic and Consular Training (INESDYC).
The conference featured remarks by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Jamaica, Honourable Senator Leslie Cambell; the Rector of the Institute of Higher Diplomatic and Consular Training Institute (INESDYC), H. E. Ambassador José Rafael Espaillat; the Vice-Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy of the Dominican Republic, H. E. Ambassador Rubén Silié Valdez; Caribbean historians, Mr. Danilo Clime and Ms. Luisa Navarro; and LACC Director, Ambassador Gillian Bristol. An international audience participated live via UWItv Global on www.uwitv.org and www.facebook.com.
Virtual Research Internships:
From the Spring of 2022, LACC promoted The UWI’s participation in the Virtual Research Internship initiative of the HUC through the involvement of its academic faculties, researchers, lecturers and specialised centres and institutes in hosting interns and also promoted the opportunity for UWI students to participate as interns at other university members of the HUC. There was a positive response from both UWI faculty and students, and the programmes ran in the second semester of 2022 and into the first trimester of 2023.
Six UWI students applied successfully to the University of Miami (USA), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador), and participated in internships on Resilience models for cultural heritage sites, Sustainability in coastal communities, Biomass for ethanol production and Cyber-hygiene practices in schools and colleges.
LACC continued to coordinate the Mexico Chair, a longstanding collaborative programme with the Government of Mexico which was established by Memorandum of Understanding between The University of the West Indies (The UWI) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States. Under that Memorandum, a scholar would offer classes and conduct research at the Mona Campus of The UWI in one of seven disciplines: Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Sports. Since its inception in 2016, two professors have held the chair in History and in Climate Change Resilience.
With the expiration of the MOU in 2021, LACC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, through the Embassy of Mexico in Jamaica, have been negotiating its renewal and expansion to cover other academic disciplines, with a view to the resumption of activities in 2023.
LACC has continued to support the Colombian’s Government’s programme through which graduates of The UWI are afforded an opportunity to assist in the teaching of English as a second language at Colombian universities. Since 2017, LACC has promoted this opportunity to all UWI Campuses. Nine graduates participated in the 2022–2023 iteration of the programme.
Current UWI students also benefit from the programme, as the Colombian government assigns Colombian teachers to The UWI to assist in the teaching of Spanish as a second language at its Campuses at Cave Hill, Mona and St. Augustine. In 2022, LACC conducted the usual consultations and secured the participation of the St. Augustine Campus for the academic year 2022/2023.
The We Are Neighbours Programme is an initiative of the Latin American-Caribbean which builds on the obvious proximity of the UWI countries to the wider Caribbean and South and Central America and is intended to advance options for UWI students in career-building and business opportunities in international trade within the region by showcasing relevant information by country. The format has evolved from a series of week-long events staged at The UWI’s Regional Headquarters by Latin American and Caribbean Embassies in Kingston.
In 2021 LACC began the execution of a television programme concept for broadcast on UWItv Global to create awareness in the English-speaking Caribbean of the Latin America culture, societies, economies, history and development; to showcase career and trade opportunities in Latin America; and to encourage foreign language learning. This broadcast features recorded interviews with Ambassadors from Latin America stationed in Jamaica, the first of which were conducted between 2021 and 2022; broadcast commenced in July 2022.
LACC Director participated in the Working Group established by the Vice-Chancellor to consider and develop the Foreign Language Policy (FL Policy) to advance the strategic goal of making The UWI a “Multilingual University” by 2023. The LACC Director’s role included consultations with the Embassies of Latin Americand countries in Jamaica and Latin American universities to seek their programmatic support either through teaching or immersion programmes.
In February 2022, the Department of International Law of the Organisation of American States (OAS) invited the Office of Global Affairs of The UWI to facilitate the participation of its students in a course in international law. The LACC Director was tasked with managing this partnership and initiated its coordination of this programme, liaising with faculties and specialised centres and institutes of The UWI. The programme resonated with the Faculties of Law and Social Sciences at St. Augustine, and the Diplomatic Academy for the Caribbean at the Institute for International Relations. The course was set to be delivered in the first semester of the academic year 2022/2023 to Law students at St. Augustine.
Under LACC’s coordination, The UWI became a member of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in May 2022. UNAI is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realisation of United Nations goals and mandates. LACC has served as coordinator on this partnership, conducting discussions with the UNAI Director and senior UWI staff and faculties carry out several activities in support of UNAI and its ten principles during a calendar year.
Among the UNAI initiatives promoted by LACC were:
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