The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Monday, 28 February 2022 — The 13th Annual UWI Toronto Benefit Awards event is carded for June 25, 2022, under the theme: “One Caribbean …. Global Impact”.
As the University’s largest fundraising event in Canada, the Awards Benefit helps provide critical scholarships to empower students with education and shape future generations of the island nations.
Through its commitment over the past 12 years, the Scotiabank sponsored, UWI Toronto Benefit Awards has granted 650 scholarships and raised almost CDN$3 million.
“The pandemic has put tremendous strain on the education, financial, and healthcare sectors. With the loss of jobs due to the downturn in the economy, students have been more severely affected as most are from single-parent households. Day-to-day survival has become the priority, which leads to severe frustration for those who are already marginalised and desperate”, said Dr. Donette Chin-Loy Chang, UWI Toronto Benefit Awards Co-Patron.
Caribbean countries live in a constant state of vulnerability as it is affected by climate change, health crises, and other economic, environmental, and social issues. “The University is to be credited for its continued focus on providing first-class education. Given the enormous challenges encountered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the welfare of students remains the primary concern of the Institution”, said Mrs. Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, Executive Director of the University’s Institutional Advancement Division.
The 2022 Awards boasts an impressive list of diverse honourees: G. Raymond Chang Award: Mrs. Janice Fukakusa (Chancellor, Ryerson University and Business Executive); Luminary Award: Mr. Andre De Grasse (six-time Olympic medalist and 200M Olympic Champion 2020) and Mr. Basil Watson (World Renowned Sculptor); Chancellor’s Award: Pan American Health Organization (Specialized International Health Agency); Vice-Chancellor’s Award: Mr. Walter Chin (World Renowned Fashion Photographer), Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh-Thilsted (Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health at WorldFish, 2021 World Food Prize and UWI Alumna) and Dr. Camille Wardrop-Alleyne (Aerospace Engineer and Space Scientist).
Co-Patrons of the UWI Toronto Benefit Awards are Dr. Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Mr. Andrew Chang, Ms. Brigette Chang with Dr. Wesley J. Hall as Honourary Patron. The event is once again proudly supported by Scotiabank for the 13th consecutive year. For more information, please email our Secretariat at secretariat@uwitorontogala.org, or call 416-214-7848 or visit our website at www.uwitorontogala.org,
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Social Media accounts for The UWI Toronto Benefit Awards gala
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About The UWI
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.
From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.
The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
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.)
