Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Wednesday, July 29, 2019 - The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus and the Consular Corps of Jamaica have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop capacity building in international trade and investment and other cooperative agreements.
The MOU was signed during the Quarterly Luncheon of the Consular Corps of Jamaica, which was held on Tuesday July 23, 2019 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston. The agreement was signed by the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus, Dr Luz Longsworth and Dean of Consular Corps of Jamaica, Mr Robert Scott, KStG, JP.
The agreement aims to facilitate collaboration with the Consular Corps of Jamaica to build capacity through a webinar series on “International Trade and Investments in Global Markets”. It will also build alliances with the Consular Corps and respective sending states to facilitate cooperative agreements across the globe involving, but not limited to student exchange, staff exchange or mobility agreements, research, and joint programming.
According to the Dean of the Consular Corps of Jamaica, Mr Robert Scott “this MOU was a historic first for the Corps that, as it is executed, will redound to the benefit of Jamaicans”. He added “It is indeed a proud moment”.
Keynote Speaker at the event, Ambassador Dr Richard Bernal, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Office of Global Affairs at The UWI spoke about the Consular Corps as an indispensable supplement to the Diplomatic Corps and its importance in small countries. He stated that “small countries cannot afford fully staffed Diplomatic Missions in as many locations as is needed, therefore, the Consular Corps can provide an invaluable outreach mechanism. Similarly, small countries are not often afforded Diplomatic level representation except by a few large, developed countries hence an expanded Consular Corps can provide representation for countries who cannot afford a full Diplomatic Mission”.
Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus spoke on the topic of “Partnerships with The UWI”. In her remarks, she noted that “this MOU with the Consular Corps of Jamaica will expand the relationship between The UWI Open Campus and many of the represented countries. This is in full synchrony with the UWI’s Triple A Strategic Plan which focuses on Access, Agility and Alignment”.
The activities under this MOU will be carried out by the staff and students of The UWI, the staff, members of the Consular Corps Jamaica, and any other mutually approved staff of other organisations. The agreement came into immediate effect and shall remain in force for a period of one (1) year and is renewable subject to the mutual agreement of the Parties.
-End-
Photo Caption:
Signing the formal agreement are Mr Robert Scott, KStG, JP, Dean of Consular Corps of Jamaica and Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus.
Sharing in the moment are: (l-r) Ms Indera Persaud, Honorary Consul for Guyana, Mr Peter Goldson, Honorary Consul General for Sweden, Mr Winston Bayley, Honorary Consul for Barbados, Ms Anneshia Welsh, Head, Business Development Unit, The UWI Open Campus and Ambassador Dr Richard Bernal, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs, The UWI.
About the Consular Corps of Jamaica
The Consular Corps of Jamaica is a body whose members consist of Honorary Consuls, Honorary Consul Generals, Honorary Vice Consuls and Career Consuls accredited to Jamaica. The objects of the Corps is to promote and maintain harmonious relations on all matters of common interest and to secure solidarity of representation and sympathetic corporation viz-a-via all authorities and organisations that may be brought into relation with the Corps.
About The UWI
For over 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, Latin America, Asia, and Africa including the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Studies Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); 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 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. The UWI 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.)
