In February 2023, The University of the West Indies (UWI) and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean signed an agreement during the CARICOM Heads of Government Meetings, held in Nassau, to promote knowledge generation and economic and social policy decision-making in the Caribbean region.

This partnership will bolster initiatives across key sectors, including research, data collection, and analysis related to development issues affecting Latin America and the Caribbean, with a special focus on the English-speaking Caribbean’s historical, political, and socioeconomic landscapes. It will foster innovation and entrepreneurship to support business incubation and private sector growth in the Caribbean, as well as strengthen institutional capacity to enhance the productivity and sustainability of regional research and innovation and knowledge centers, focusing on critical issues like climate change, economic diversification, food and energy security, and sport for development.

Activities planned include seminars, conferences, and joint meetings, specialized academic and professional development courses, exchanges of teachers and students, internship opportunities at CAF, academic materials exchanges, research data transfers, and the English translation of CAF’s MOOCs.