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Saint Lucia to Host the 10th UWI Open Campus Presentation of Graduates Ceremony

Office of the Campus Registrar, Jamaica. Monday, October 8, 2018 - The island of Saint Lucia will once again celebrate the achievements of graduands of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, in a grand Presentation of Graduates Ceremony to be held on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Royalton Saint Lucia Resort and Spa, Cap Estate, Gros Islet.
 
This 10th Presentation of Graduates Ceremony of The UWI Open Campus is being held during a significant milestone year of The UWI – its 70th Anniversary, celebrated under the theme “70 Years of Service and Leadership” to the region, and the Open Campus’ 10th year of success as an established campus of The UWI.  Over these ten (10) years, the Open Campus has developed a remarkable organisation based on technology, with the primary mission of “Opening Doors to Life-changing Learning”.  This year, the campus will officially be graduating seven hundred and three (703) graduands with Master’s, Bachelor’s and Associate degrees, as well as Certificates and Diplomas in a wide range of subject areas.
 
As in previous ceremonies, graduands from across the Caribbean will gather together in the presence of well-wishers including Heads of State and Government, the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, members of the University’s Executive Management, other highly placed University and local government officials, as well as family and friends, to receive their formal academic qualifications.
 
The official ceremony will begin at precisely 10:00 a.m., preceded by the Graduands, Academic and Chancellor’s processions.  The public is invited to share in this momentous occasion via live online streaming on UWItv at www.uwitv.org.
 
During this year’s ceremony, the campus will confer Honorary degrees on two Caribbean citizens - the Honorable Dame Janice Mesadis Pereira DBE from the British Virgin Islands, for her service to the legal profession and Mr Larry Quinlan from St. Kitts and Nevis for his influence and work in leadership at the global level. They will each receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD).
 
The Honourable Dame Janice Mesadis Peirera, DBE is a renowned legal professional who has dedicated over three decades of service to the people of the BVI, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the wider Caribbean. 
 
A proud alumna of The University of the West Indies, Dame Janice graduated from The UWI with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1979. She then attended the Norman Manley Law School and graduated with her Legal Education Certificate (LEC) in 1981, the year she was called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). She was also called to the Bar in St. Kitts & Nevis in 2000. 
 
Her legal experience bridges private practice and public service. For just over three decades, from 1981, and prior to reaching the zenith of her distinguished legal career, Dame Janice  was at various times Registrar General, Registrar, Supreme Court, BVI; Registrar of Companies and International Business Companies, BVI; Additional Magistrate and Magistrate (Ag.), BVI; High Court Judge, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court; and Court of Appeal Judge, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She created history in 2012 when she was sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court since its establishment in 1967.  
 
Mr Larry Quinlan serves as the Global Chief Information Officer at Deloitte, the world’s largest professional service organization.  In this capacity, he oversees the Global CIO Council and directs universal technology organizations that cater to over a quarter million people in over 100 countries.
 
A proud graduate of The University of the West Indies, Mr Quinlan has been a consistent benefactor of the American Foundation of The University of the West Indies and for several years has personally funded two annual scholarships to support students from the Open Campus St. Kitts & Nevis.
 
Due to his outstanding work in technology at the community level, he has earned several honours and awards from major organizations. These include the CIO Magazine Top 100 Award in 2012; the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) Vice Chancellor’s Award in 2013, the Nashville Business Journal CIO Award in 2014; and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) Fellow in 2017. 
 
The Valedictorian for this year is Mr Kirk Edwards, a Mathematics teacher, church leader and sports enthusiast. He completed his Bachelor of Education (BEd), Mathematics Education degree with First Class Honours.
 
Kirk is a proud member of the indigenous Kalinago community of Dominica and has been a Mathematics teacher at the North East Comprehensive School for 10 years (2008 to present). In 2012, he was a finalist in the Novice Teacher of the Year category of the Dominica Teachers Bi-Annual Awards. For the past four years, he has been tasked with the responsibility of heading the Mathematics department at the North East Comprehensive School. Under his supervision, the school has experienced a steady increase in its pass rate at CXC examinations (CSEC & CCSLC), obtaining its best Mathematics past rate ever in 2018. 
 
A proud member of the Church of the Nazarene in Dominica, his faith has been a major driving force in all that he does.  His involvement in Youth Ministry, as well as his love of sports has given him many opportunities to serve his community.  As is customary, Kirk will deliver the Valedictory Speech on behalf of his fellow graduates from across the region.
 
After the official Presentation Ceremony, the new graduates and their guests will celebrate their academic achievements at an Official Reception hosted by the Government and people of Saint Lucia.
 
 
 
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. In 2018, The UWI celebrates its evolution from 1948 as a university college in Jamaica with 33 medical students to an internationally respected regional university with near 50,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and an Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. Its seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. The UWI has been a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of our people. As the regional institution commemorates its 70th anniversary milestone, it will celebrate its students, faculty, administrators, alumni, governments, and partners in the public and private sector. The anniversary commemoration will focus on reflection as well as projection for the future with an emphasis on social justice and the economic transformation of the region. Website: www.uwi.edu and www.uwi.edu/70 . (Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)