Regional Headquarters, Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, April 23, 2019—The following statement is issued by Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, Robert Bermudez on the passing of Sir Alister McIntyre, who served as UWI Vice-Chancellor from 1988-1998.
It is with deep sadness that The University of the West Indies (The UWI) community learnt of the passing of Sir Alister McIntyre, Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, on Saturday, April 20, 2019.
The quintessential Caribbean man, his life was spent in service of the region he called home. An economist by profession, he lectured at the St. Augustine and Mona campuses of The UWI and also served as Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, then Director at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) before becoming Vice-Chancellor of The UWI in 1988.
After his retirement from The UWI a decade later, he continued to serve the region as Chief Technical Advisor to the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, playing a central role in the region’s trade negotiations in several arenas. His was a sterling contribution to regional development from the days of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) in the 1960s, from the creation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1973 to the crafting of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in 1989. He was also instrumental in ensuring that the Heads of Government of CARICOM recognised the pivotal role played by The UWI in the human resource development of the region and enshrined The UWI in the 1989 Grand Anse Declaration, setting the CSME in motion, as a regional institution in perpetuity.
In addition to the many structural and operational changes to ensure more efficient functioning of the institution that he piloted, Sir Alister initiated the strategic planning process which is now an integral part of The UWI’s operations.
The region has lost a transformational leader; a giant among men whose contributions to our development shall continue to benefit this generation and generations into the future.
My sincere condolences and those of The UWI community, are extended to his wife Marjorie, their children and grandchildren.
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About UWI Chancellor, Robert Bermudez
Mr. Robert Bermudez is the 6th Chancellor of The University of the West Indies. His seven-year term officially began on July 16, 2017. A national of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Bermudez has been an entrepreneur for over 40 years. He led the growth of his family-owned business, to a regional business throughout the Caribbean and Latin America and has enjoyed a distinguished career in business, serving as either Chairman or Board Director for several other corporate bodies in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. His vision for the University outlines a keen sense of the mission, effectiveness, relevance and interdependence of academia and the economy.
About The UWI
For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and four campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, and an Open Campus. As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Asia, and Africa such as the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development, the UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport.
As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. Times Higher Education has ranked The UWI among the top 1,258 universities in world for 2019, and the 40 best universities in its Latin America Rankings for 2018, and was the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists. For more, visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
