The UWI’s American Foundation Gala is set for April 18

The UWI, Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Thursday, April 04, 2024—The American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) will honour six distinguished individuals and organisations for their remarkable contributions and achievements at its 27th Annual Awards Gala themed “The Legacy Continues”. The signature fundraising gala, dedicated to benefiting UWI students’ scholarships takes place on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 583 Park Avenue (@63rd Street), New York City from 6:30 p.m. (AST).

His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, will be bestowed the Legacy Award, the gala’s highest honour. Donald Christian of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, is set to receive the Caribbean Luminary Award, while Michele Chow-Tai of Fairview Capital Partners will be honoured with the Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Award. Antony Mark Desnoes Hart, Chairman of Caribbean Producers Jamaica, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Business Leadership & Community Engagement and The Hart Group is the recipient of the Corporate Award for Business Excellence. Reverend Patrick Perrin, retired Pastor of United Methodist Churches in Brooklyn & Queens will receive The Pelican Award, and Darren Skinner, Esq., Partner at Arnold & Porter, will be honoured with The Pinnacle Award. In addition to their sterling credentials, these distinguished awardees serve as beacons of inspiration, embodying the role of change agents for AFUWI’s scholarship recipients to emulate.

The Gala is AFUWI's main fundraising event that benefits approximately 50 deserving students at The University of the West Indies (UWI) every year. A World Bank 2020 report reveals that the Caribbean region has the lowest enrollment rate for higher education in the hemisphere, with less than 25% compared to the North American average of nearly 60% and the Latin American average of 52%. This significant difference highlights the crucial role AFUWI plays in supporting the bright minds of the Caribbean and the urgent need to help them achieve their academic goals.

Over the last decade, approximately 600 tuition scholarships have been awarded from the gala proceeds in addition to fostering relationships with other leading institutions. The need for support notably increased in the wake of the global pandemic, doubling the calls from students facing dire financial circumstances; many often having to choose between necessities and tuition. AFUWI is grateful to its donor network for their outstanding ongoing support and is dedicated to meeting this exigent need.

The public is asked to support through the #donatetoeducate campaign. Please visit www.afuwi.org or call 212 759 9345 for tickets and table purchases.

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years. From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 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 Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 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 the wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the 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 Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu.