Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Thursday, November 23, 2023 — On Saturday, November 11, 2023, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Global Campus (formerly the Open Campus) held its virtual Presentation of Graduates Ceremony via UWItv platforms to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2023. At this ceremony, the Campus recognized the accomplishments of 581 graduates for the 2022/2023 academic year, and conferred two honorary degrees. As the Ceremony was held under The UWI Diamond Jubilee theme, "UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising", a video celebrating the University's work and achievements was aired at the start of the Ceremony.
This year, 581 students (128 postgraduates and 453 undergraduates) graduated with degrees, diplomas, and certificates in various disciplines. Of the total number of graduates, 493 were females (395 undergraduate and 98 postgraduates) and 88 males (58 undergraduate and 30 postgraduate).
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Francis O Severin, in his welcome remarks to the graduating class stated, “This ceremony goes beyond the descriptive ‘milestone’ in the lives of you, our graduates. Fundamentally, it is also a living testimony to our University’s enduring commitment to excellence, as we proudly mark The University of the West Indies’ 75th Anniversary, that is, it’s Diamond Jubilee. Our Anniversary theme encapsulated in the tagline Rooted, Ready and Rising is especially appropriate for us at the Global Campus, your Campus, having rooted ourselves in our many years of serving our communities beyond the walls of the University, and now ready, feeling fittingly confident to burst into the Global education environment, as we rise to the occasion of worldwide expectations”.
“As we embark on this remarkable journey into the future, it is opportune to remind the Universe of our exciting transformative rebranding, on August 1, 2023, from the Open Campus to the Global Campus. This conversion underscores our commitment to breaking down geographical barriers in pursuit of knowledge while we continue to fulfil the vision of an excellent Global University rooted in the Caribbean”, Dr Severin stated.
Chancellor of The UWI, Robert Bermudez, in his address to the graduating class stated “You, our graduates are the most significant and visible contribution to development at the national, Regional and international levels”. Chancellor Bermudez implored the graduates to consider what they would do in the future and that they should do it to be impactful, with a commitment to advancing not only their interests but also those of the wider community.
“Give back to your Alma Mater by mentoring students, serving as adjunct faculty or technical advisers in specific areas. There are multiple ways and opportunities to contribute to ensure that the work and reputation of The UWI, which has given you so much, remain at a high level. This leg of your academic journey is done. Go forth and continue to shine”, the Chancellor urged.
During the virtual ceremony, The UWI conferred two Honorary Degrees on two outstanding Caribbean citizens. Monsignor Hon. Dr Patrick ‘Paba’ Anthony, SLC, from Saint Lucia, who was awarded the Doctor of Letters (DLitt) for his work as a Cultural Icon/Activist and the Right Honourable Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick, CB, DBE, from The Bahamas, who was awarded the Doctor of Laws (LLD) for her work in Law and Politics.
Newly appointed Campus Public Orator, Mrs Lesley Crane-Mitchell delivered captivating citations for both Honorary Graduands. In sharing Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick's accomplishments, she noted that Dame Janet had several career firsts. The Public Orator stated that Dame Janet was “the first female to be elected as President of the Bar Association and Chair of the Bar Council; the first female to serve as a Member of Parliament following her election to the House of Assembly in 1982; the first female ever appointed to the position of Attorney General in the Bahamas and the Region, in November of 1994; the first female to be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs for The Bahamas in 1995 and also, the first female to act as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas”.
Mrs Crane-Mitchell shared that Dame Janet’s innate activism led her to find expression in service to a plethora of causes. “Her unrelenting advocacy on behalf of women would be the constant through all the changing seasons of her career. “Whether campaigning as a Trade Unionist to improve the gender pay gap, non-existent maternity benefits and lack of job security or using her judicial platform to secure changes in legislation related to sexual offences, domestic violence, and child maintenance laws or making women’s issues her main platform during her political campaigns - Dame Janet’s activism on women’s issues in The Bahamas is legendary”, the Campus’ Orator declared.
“Her on-going quest for women’s rights between 1992 -1994 would find Dame Janet leading the Bahamian delegation at the OAS Inter-American Commission of Women as well as serving on its Executive. Since 1994, she has also served on the Executive of the United Nations Commission on Women and as the Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the United Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women where she led a Bahamian delegation that was unanimously selected to coordinate the participation of the Caribbean Region”, Mrs. Crane-Mitchell stated.
Dame Janet credited her success to her faith. “My motivation has been my faith. My faith is the root of who I am. I have a burning desire to serve God, to serve Jesus Christ and I see all of my work, as a service to him. That gives me zeal, resilience, focus!”
Mrs Crane-Mitchell noted that “the fruits of this deep-rooted faith would result in Dame Janet receiving numerous national, regional and international awards in recognition of her pioneering work championing the cause of families, women and children”. Most recently in July 2018, Dame Janet was made a Companion of the Order of the Bahamas (CB) and in December of that same year, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen (DBE).
Mrs Crane-Mitchell in her citation on the incredible life and servant leadership of Monsignor Hon. Dr Patrick ‘Paba’ Anthony, spoke of the indelible contribution he has made within the Roman Catholic Church and to the Caribbean Region over the past five decades. “A passionate advocate of the concept of a “New Caribbean Personhood”, as a newly appointed Assistant Priest attached to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, he used his platform to promote his ideas through the weekly newspaper columns ‘The Voice from Within’ and ‘Poto Légliz’, and a radio programme called ‘Church in the Home’. Through these media and the pulpit, he championed ideas promulgated in the wake of Vatican II, the most significant being the celebration of the liturgy in the vernacular rather than Latin and other seismic changes such as the painting of Black Jesus, along with other forms of indigenous religious art, on the walls of local Catholic Churches”, said Mrs Crane-Mitchell.
Mrs Crane-Mitchell stated, “This theologian, cultural activist and communications specialist extraordinaire would also co-found the Conference on Theology in the Caribbean Today (CTCT) in 1994; established the Jubilee Trust Fund (1997) for assistance to young artists, cultural activists and researchers and the George Odlum Grant for Creative Artists (2003)”. Monsignor Anthony also served as Chairman of the Saint Lucia National Trust Council (1991-1997); Vice President of the Archaeological and Historical Society (1993-1994) and Chairman of the Saint Lucia Integrity Commission.
Mrs Crane-Mitchell also revealed that “Monsignor Anthony's pastoral concern for the growing number of homeless and indigent persons in Saint Lucia led him to establish the Anthonian Home for the Aged and the Saint Lucy’s Home, which to this day remain sanctuaries for persons in need of rehabilitation and shelter”. She added that “His ongoing passion in the field of communications would find him serving for many years as Editor of the Catholic Chronicle and later becoming an advocate for the formation of World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) Caribe, the Caribbean branch of the WACC, for which he served as President from 1996-2000. Ten years of dedicated service as Director of the Central Committee of the WACC, London would be acknowledged and rewarded when he was declared a WACC Laureate in 2019 – the very first Caribbean person to have been so honoured”.
She also shared that Monsignor Anthony became the recipient of the St. Lucia Cross (2000) for distinguished and outstanding service of national importance to Saint Lucia; received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in November 2012 and was recognised as a National Hero by the Folk Research Centre in 2013. Mrs Crane-Mitchell stated, “The year 2022 marked a milestone of fifty years of his dedicated service to church and community – fifty years of shaping a generation that now forms the leadership of Saint Lucia”.
Monsignor Hon. Dr Patrick ‘Paba’ Anthony, SLC in his message to the graduating class stated that it was with profound humility that he accepted this distinguished honour from his alma mater, The University of the West Indies. He spoke of the perils of our world and our unimaginable capacity for brutality and competition; for savagery; the bullying, prejudice, duplicity, hypocrisy, and deceit, even at the highest levels internationally, which can sometimes shatter whatever slender faith and hope one had in the human project. He quoted the Guyanese poet, Martin Carter thus, “This is the dark time, my love…It is the festival of guns, the carnival of misery”. “This is the global context, graduands, at whose portals you stand. Do you have a contribution to make, a new vision? Hope that can transcend the human imagination? Do you have the courage and moral fortitude to stride boldly towards tomorrow?”, Monsignor Anthony probed.
Monsignor Anthony told the Graduands “as the world perches on the brink of spiritual catastrophe and moral bankruptcy, the global community needs to hear our voice and our story. How we still dare to dream of a Caribbean space, where ‘Every creed and race will find an equal space’; where, as in my beloved homeland Saint Lucia, we do not have to hypocritically pray that mass murderers ‘will beat their swords into ploughshares’ (Isaiah 2:4); no, here between rival flower festivals, as Walcott writes, we celebrate ‘woundless wars’ with ‘wooden swords’… ‘Would that our scarred earth could contain/such sweet violence/these flowers fighting to remain/not enemies, but friends’. (The War of Flowers, Derek Walcott). Let the world hear our story; ... These are the lessons and spirit of possibility to carry us forward”.
Monsignor Anthony shared with the graduating class the story of three brothers GwoBouden” (big belly), “Pat Finn” (Skinny legs) and “GwanJèl” (big mouth). The first brother he noted fell into the syndrome of greed, and selfishness, and had no concern for his brother. The second laughed at his brother's demise and the third brother ran away from his situation. "Graduands, this is a metaphor, a parable of our contemporary world. It is a parable about human behaviour from the wisdom of our ancestors. We can say to the world that this is a false philosophy. This cannot bring wholesome development. The world is made for all, all of us are brothers and sisters and we can all share. There is enough for all of us. I hope you have learned that you must be one of those who help to build a world that would not be a Gwobouden world but a world in which we share with each other as you leave the Global Campus", Monsignor Anthony stated.
He congratulated The UWI for tagging itself as “An excellent global university rooted in the Caribbean”, for being the #1 ranked Caribbean university, maintaining its position within the top 1% of Latin America’s finest, and also for ranking in the top 150 best universities in the world for research impact. Big Up, UWI! Monsignor Anthony declared.
The Valedictory address was delivered by Ms Breya John, a citizen of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who completed a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Development and Family Studies with First Class Honours. In her speech to the graduating class, she illustrated the concept of perseverance by invoking the words from the song by popular Jamaican dancehall artiste Popcaan, “Jah, gi we di energy we need, Jah you keep we firm and strong”. “My fellow graduates, here we are at the finish line, having emerged as lifelong learners with the critical and creative thinking skills needed to contribute to the development of the Region as ideal Caribbean citizens…, Pelicans keep winning by any means, Jah has indeed kept us firm and strong… How did we even do it? Perseverance”, said Breya.
She indicated that the life-changing experiences at The University of the West Indies Global Campus have shown that excelling at higher education is not only for the young and for those with no family or other burdensome responsibilities. It is for everyone. “It is because of this new perspective, that today, we graduate as ideal Caribbean citizens who are reflective-reflexive practitioners who have forged not only a sense of individual identity but a well-grounded regional identity”, Breya stated.
Breya told her fellow graduates to soar high on the wings of a unified regional identity regardless of their professions and to develop more innovative techniques to combat issues that continue to challenge the Region’s strides in development. She stated, “Let us set a precedent by becoming citizens who refuse to bend and surrender to our circumstances to be effective agents of change in our fields to provide good governance, equal access to opportunities, quality education, and healthcare with an increased awareness of climate change, and feasible solutions necessary to reorganise, re-engineer, and rebrand our Caribbean Region”.
“Let us never forget, that it is our responsibility to let the world know that as a region, ‘We little but we tallawah’. Pelicans let us put on full display the outcome of perseverance: ’A light rising from the west’ that is far-reaching beyond The UWI Global Campus so that our voices can be heard among the leaders on the world stage”, Breya asserted.
The UWI Global Campus congratulates the Class of 2023 and wishes them success as they soar to higher heights in their future endeavours.
Monsignor Honourable Dr Patrick ‘Paba’ Anthony, SLC, The UWI Global Campus 2023 Honorary Graduand
The Right Honourable Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick, CB, DBE, The UWI Global Campus 2023 Honorary Graduand
Ms Breya John, The UWI Global Campus 2023 Valedictorian
