The School for Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) had a successful academic year across its varied portfolios, despite continuing financial and human resource challenges. Focus was placed on strategic objectives which were aligned with The University of West Indies 2022– 2027 Strategic Plan. A One-UWI approach was utilised in the implementation of strategies to fulfil The UWI’s goals of access, agility and alignment, with key initiatives such as the One-UWI Faculty Mentorship programme with Professors Emeriti, the One-UWI Workshop on ChatGPT and Academic Integrity in Graduate Programmes and the One-UWI Research Supervisors’ Meeting.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of The UWI, activities were implemented to recognise this milestone, including a radio programme “SGSR Corner” and UWItv features. The School also continued its main functions of providing oversight and direction to graduate education, enhancing the capacity, quality and relevance of research across The UWI as well as heightening the entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and networking within the University. In the face of dwindling financial resources, the new Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, activated several revenue-generating initiatives in support of the School, and by extension, the University; these included a professional development workshop and a Sip and Paint event.

ACCESS

NEW AND REVISED GRADUATE PROGRAMMES

Thirteen new graduate programmes and ten graduate programmes, revised in content, nomenclature, assessment and delivery modes, were reviewed and approved by the Board for Graduate Studies and Research (BGSR). Of special note was the approval of two double degree Master of Laws programmes in collaboration with the University of Dayton – The UWI-Dayton Double LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law and American and Transnational Law and The UWI-Dayton Double LLM in Intellectual Property Law and American and Transnational Law. A new interdisciplinary MSc in Climate Studies with six concentrations (Health, Energy, Climate Justice, Food Security, Sport and Tourism, and Coastlines), along with a postgraduate diploma and postgraduate certificate in Climate Studies were also approved for UWI-wide delivery.

QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS

The Quality Assurance Unit organised and coordinated several reviews during the academic year. These included reviews of research and taught graduate programmes in those disciplines/ departments in which these programmes are offered; these are listed below.

• Cave Hill Campus: Biological Sciences, Political Science
• Mona Campus: Asian Languages in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Theology programmes (offered through St. Michael’s College and the United Theological College)
• St. Augustine Campus: Computing and Information Technology, Literatures in English, Management Studies, Political Science, UWI School of Nursing, Visual Arts/Musical Arts/Theatre Arts/ Carnival Studies/Dance.

GRADUATE ENROLMENT AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Graduate Enrolment

Enrolment in graduate programmes was 8,877, a slight decline when compared to the previous year; the Five Islands and Mona campuses had increases in enrolment, while there were decreases of 13.5% and 12% at the Cave Hill and Open campuses, respectively. Research degree enrolment as a percentage of total enrolment decreased by 1% to 15%, with 40% of these registered as full-time students. For the University as a whole, 34% of graduate students were registered as full-time, an increase of 7% over last year. The Faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities and Education continued to account for the majority of registrations across all campuses.

Intra-Caribbean Academic Mobility Programme (ICAMP)

The Intra-Caribbean Academic Mobility Programme (ICAMP), funded by the European Commission in the amount of €2M, was designed to pivot tertiary education and research in fuelling the entrepreneurial activity of Caribbean economies. The programme supports entrepreneurial postgraduate scholarships and industry internships to supply a cadre of highly trained, innovative Caribbean citizens dedicated to the economic advancement of the Caribbean’s private sector, while providing deserving Caribbean citizens with opportunities to remain within the region and contribute to “brain gain”.

Eleven master’s programmes from The UWI and one from the University of Trinidad and Tobago were selected based on the content of their courses and their in-built ability to replace the research project component with an overseas internship. ICAMP’s website was developed and launched simultaneously with the scholarship application portal, and a scholarship guide was developed to assist applicants with the programmes’ offerings.

Graduate Scholarships

A total of BD$1,189,912 was allocated to all the campuses for UWI graduate scholarships, which allowed for twenty- five three-year awards to full-time research students.

Three CCRIF scholarships with a total value of US$22,000 were awarded to students registered in master’s programmes at the Cave Hill and Mona campuses.

One Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship (QECS) tenable at The UWI for citizens of low/middle income Commonwealth countries (valued at over US$26,500) was awarded to a candidate from Guyana (Master of Public Health, Mona Campus).

Three Dr. Pauline O. Lawrence/Dr. Carlton G. Davis Graduate Scholarships, valued at US$3,750 each, were awarded to the students registered in the MSc Agricultural Entrepreneurship, MSc Natural Resource Management – lntegrated Urban and Rural Environmental Management and the MSc Food and Agro Processing programmes at the Mona Campus.

The Enith Bradley/ICENS Scholarship, valued at J$625,743.76, was awarded to a student in the MSc Medical Physics programme at the Mona Campus.

The Claudia Francis Carrigan (Postgraduate) Scholarship, valued at J$300,000, was awarded to a candidate in the MSc Economics programme at the Mona Campus.

REGULATIONS, POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

A number of policy documents were approved by the BGSR over the reporting period. A policy for conversion of non-GPA grades to GPA was developed and approved for students who had been admitted to the University under the special admission option (pre-GPA), as well as for those transferring credits from other institutions. New guidelines for transitioning from graduate certificates to graduate diplomas, and from graduate diplomas to masters’ programmes were also approved by the BGSR, to include the operationalisation guidelines.

Also approved was an academic forgiveness policy designed to offer graduate students an opportunity to recover from past academic challenges, therefore enhancing their prospects of completing their degree. The guidelines document, “Strategies to Enhance Research Productivity”, was also finalised and circulated for widespread use to enhance the University’s research endeavours.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

One-UWI Faculty Mentorship Programme with Professors Emeriti

The School proudly announces the initiation of the One- UWI Faculty Mentorship Programme with esteemed Professors Emeriti. This initiative aims to enhance faculty retention, success, promotion, sense of belonging, and the cultivation of future mentors and leaders. Additionally, it will act as a crucial succession-planning tool, broadening the University’s access to a diverse pool of leaders. Aligned with the University’s strategic objectives AC3 & AC4 of the 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, the Programme focusses on promoting career advancement, scholarly growth and well-being for early and mid-career faculty. To date, nineteen Professors Emeriti from various UWI Faculties have graciously accepted the invitation to be mentors. More details can be found on the Mentorship Programme webpage at: https://www.uwi.edu/gsr/oor/ mentorship.

One-UWI Research Supervisors Meeting

Arising from an increasing number of issues and concerns regarding supervisory matters, the Pro Vice- Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research convened an online meeting of Supervisors from all the campuses with the objective of providing an overview/refresher of the supervisory process at The UWI, as well as to introduce the new online Research Supervisor Development course.

The Directors, Graduate Studies and Research played a key role in the development of the programme and provided outstanding support and assistance in reaching out to the research Supervisors on their respective campuses to share the invitation to this meeting. A total of 376 persons registered for the meeting, and from the comments and feedback during the meeting, the presentations were very well received by the participants.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

Open Society University Network (OSUN)

The UWI joined the Open Society University Network (OSUN) and discussions are underway to explore the possibility of UWI students participating in OSUN online courses. Arising from partnerships formed during the OSUN Chief Academic Officers Meetings in Vienna which the Pro Vice-Chancellor attended, a collaborative seminar will be co-hosted at the Mona Campus.

Northwestern University

Several meetings were held with colleagues from Northwestern University, Illinois, USA, resulting in a number of joint activities/initiatives. Researchers from Northwestern University participated in the 24th Annual SALISES Conference at the St. Augustine Campus. The UWI will host a journalism student from Northwestern University through an internship programme, and Northwestern researchers will present at the 18th Annual Caribbean Child Research Conference in November 2023. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being established to guide the collaboration.

North-West University (NWU), South Africa

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between North-West University, South Africa and The UWI was developed to guide the implementation of collaborative activities between the two universities. The North-West University will be sending a delegation to The UWI in the upcoming academic year to formally sign the MoU and to have discussions to identify initial activities.

ALIGNMENT

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (I&E)

Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator (CCSA) Investor Matching Initiative

The School continues to serve as The UWI contact point for interfacing with the Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator (CCSA). The overall goal is the financing of projects to transform the Caribbean into a Climate Smart Zone, fostering regional resilience, social development, and economic growth. The first collaborative initiative was on possible funding of UWI research through business investment opportunities and grants.

The Office worked with the CCSA and UWI staff to facilitate the development of proposals with commercial potential for submission to the CCSA for presentation at its Matchmaking Forum; this provided an opportunity for innovators to pitch project ideas to potential investors and secure financing for project implementation and financial returns to investors.

The second initiative was seeking nominations from The UWI for the Earthshot Prize. This prize was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020, and is the world’s most prestigious and ambitious environmental prize, inspired by President Kennedy’s “Moonshot” challenge.

The third initiative was entitled “Regional Landscaping Reviews”, to be implemented by The Templeton World Charity Foundation. This initiative explored the feasibility of establishing a regional Collaborative Research Hub that will provide opportunities to advance scientific research on topics and outcomes central to human flourishing. The CCSA engaged The UWI, through the University Office of Research, to seek applicants to undertake landscaping reviews which will help guide future investments through the Collaborative Research Hub.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp Workshop, organised by the SGSR in collaboration with other relevant University units, provided a unique opportunity for University employees, including I&E practitioners, researchers, administrators and students, to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge and connect with like-minded individuals within the University. The Workshop comprised eight modules covering ideation, market strategy, business planning, pitching, financial sustainability, legal aspects, and The UWI Innovation Ecosystem. The feedback from participants emphasised the Workshop’s quality, the relevance of its content, the expertise of the facilitators, and the interactive format, and clearly indicated the Workshop’s success in meeting participants’ needs and fostering an innovation and entrepreneurship culture within The UWI. Suggestions for improvement included incorporating more hands-on activities, allowing more Q&A time, and providing follow-up support.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) AND COMMERCIALISATION

The School (at Cave Hill) continued its responsibility for the management of registered patents at The UWI, which included monitoring the status and payment dates of registered patents; assisting with identifying funds to cover patent costs when required; monitoring progress towards commercialisation of the patents against the time limit identified in The UWI IP Management and Commercialisation Policy and communicating with patent holders in this context.

The Office continued to emphasise the need for The UWI to design and implement a system to support researchers in their efforts to commercialise their IP. Following the WIPO workshop, entitled “An Advanced Course on IP and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean”, the Office (at Cave Hill) collaborated with the Cave Hill Campus RICCH Office and the Deputy Principal’s Office to develop a series of workshops to raise awareness of The UWI IP Policy, with an emphasis on the development of potential commercial ventures.

THE UWI RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE

The School (at Cave Hill) continued to serve as the Secretariat for the University Research Ethics Committee. The Committee facilitated the development of the Five Islands Campus Research Ethics Committee by formally appointing the members and identifying training requirements. The St. Augustine and Cave Hill Campus Research Ethics Committees also required formal appointment of new members and reappointment of others, with recommendations for the training required for new members. The University-wide Committee established to revise The UWI Policy and Procedures on Research Ethics is in the process of identifying gaps in the current Policy as a pre-requisite for guiding the revision and updating of the Policy. The School paid the annual subscription for access to the CITI Program which is used across The UWI for training of all UWI personnel submitting a proposal to their Campus Research Ethics Committees for ethics approval; and facilitated the application for, and was granted renewal of, the Federal Wide Assurance registration verifying that the Research Ethics Committees at The UWI were operating with internationally acceptable protocols and maintaining internationally acceptable standards.

RESEARCH FUNDING AND GRANTS MANAGEMENT

Donor-funded Projects

Research Proposals Developed and Submitted: The Office (at St. Augustine) worked with research staff across the campuses to identify funding opportunities and prepare and submit thirteen international research grant applications, valued at US$7.7M, to several international donor agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (USA), the European Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA), and the Medical Research Council (UK). With research teams working with one another using mainly ICT platforms, the Office significantly strengthened the One-UWI vision, continued to expand The UWI’s international research partnerships, exposed researchers to new cutting-edge technologies that would not ordinarily be available in the Caribbean, and provided multiple financial opportunities for The UWI’s research landscape.

Mobility Proposals Developed and Submitted – European Union’s Flagship Education and Training Mobility Programme (Erasmus+)

Through directed interventions of the SGSR, research projects were twinned with mobility projects, ushering in a new range of opportunities for researchers to strengthen their research abilities including exposure to cutting-edge research infrastructures at these European universities. A cross-section of the European universities’ partnerships with The UWI include, inter alia: University of Valladolid, Spain; University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Masaryk University, Czech Republic; Riga Technical University, Latvia.

Research Projects Won

The SGSR won six collaborative International Research Projects during the reporting period, valued at over US$5.5M. Both recurring and new donor agencies funded these grants. The Research, Administration, and Financial Teams continued to demonstrate a highly admirable commitment to The UWI in spite of the ongoing pandemic, and their tremendous work outputs and quality performances are appreciatively acknowledged.

Research Projects Implemented

The EU-LAC Museum Project entitled, “Museums and Community: Concepts, Experiences and Sustainability in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean” was an EU-funded project involving eight partner institutions, seven from Europe and one from the Caribbean (The UWI, Cave Hill Campus). Project implementation was highly successful, with the project winning the Europa Nostra Ilucidare Prize for Cultural Heritage-led International Relations, which is coordinated through the European Commission. The project was also selected by ICOM and Europa Nostra to be featured at the Best in Heritage Conference held in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2022. The UWI team worked collaboratively with the partners to implement the project and develop the presentation for the conference, which was delivered by the lead partner, St. Andrews University.

UWI Graduate Research and Research and Publications Funds

The School continued to oversee the provision and use of The UWI Postgraduate Research Funds and Research and Publications Funds across the campuses. For the reporting period 2022/2023 academic year, there was an overall reduction of 4% in the budgets made available from University Centre – BD$482,834 for Postgraduate Research, representing a 5% increase, and a 24% reduction for Research and Publications to BD$153,508.

AGILITY

REVENUE GENERATION

Professional Development Workshop

Internally, the School began the process of becoming more autonomous financially and contributing to The UWI’s revenues. To this end, a professional development workshop on the Fundamental Principles for Writing Policies and Procedures was held in July 2023, with forty- two participants from various government ministries, departments and agencies from across the anglophone Caribbean region (Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana), as well as researchers and senior administrative professionals from the various campuses of The UWI. The proceeds will be used to fund student assistance to staff and support the School’s marketing initiatives, inter alia.

Project: Sip and Paint

The inaugural Sip and Paint event, dubbed the Parent- Child edition, was held on May 27, 2023, with twenty-one attendees. Held in collaboration with The UWI Museum, the funds it raised are slated to support a regional bursary programme for postgraduate students, as well as the conservation and preservation of historical and art collections, inter alia. A major benefit of the project was the public relations aspect, as there was increased awareness about the work of both departments.