The University of the West Indies (UWI) has often been seen as a long-standing partner of Caribbean governments in fostering the integration and development of our people and the formation of strategic alliances.
CARICOM member states are now considering the establishment of a single market economy. This will mean the general removal of all legal and administrative restrictions on trade. Therefore, further competition between these states is inevitable. The ability of member states to survive the effects of trade liberalization will depend, among other things, on the capacity of their human resources and learning institutions. Therefore, the role that the UWI is playing in enabling the people and countries of the region to make the transition will come under heavy scrutiny. Many, including University graduates, believe that “UWI just isn’t doing enough!”
The role of the UWI has been assessed based on changes to its curriculum, the level of intellectual debate stimulated on the subject among people in the region, and the extent to which it has facilitated product development by improving access to regions to specialized training and technology transfer.
One of the main criticisms leveled against the University is that it has not used innovative strategies and radical curricular engineering to achieve the necessary transformation to strategically address the challenges facing the region.
To the question of whether the University has enhanced the intellectual capacity of the inhabitants of the region, the answer is a resounding yes. But when asked if his efforts have matched those of accredited universities around the world, the answer is not equally convincing.
Caribbean entrepreneurs argue that the UWI has not instilled in its graduates the drastic changes in attitude and perspective needed to help the business sector meet the challenges of the CSME. Amid a climate of high unemployment among graduates, the view is that UWI is not equipping its graduates to pursue self-employment opportunities. Instead, the UWI is producing bookworms who lack business acumen!
The question has also been raised as to whether the University has increased opportunities for regional cooperation in human, economic and social development. Without a doubt, it has played a critical and significant role in the integration of the peoples and countries of the region. Indeed, it can be argued that the UWI has played a critical role in advancing the spirit of cooperation and integration that has made the Caribbean Single Market a reality. Compared to the “much lauded” CARICOM Federation, the continuing achievements of the University of the West Indies dispel arguments that the region cannot unite.
But is the UWI doing enough to help graduates deal with changes in the international business environment and the implications for small, open economies like ours? There is not much that institutions in the region, such as the UWI, can do. The corporate sector armed with a more educated workforce must now do the rest.
One thing is certain. Over the years, UWI has generated a spirit of regional cooperation and Caribbean identity. Undoubtedly, the University, as a regional institution, has served as a beacon to bring the people and countries of the region closer together. To suggest otherwise is to be overly critical and underscore the efforts of Governments, University Officials and Graduates who have contributed to this process. But amid these efforts, university officials admit the number of OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) registrants continues to decline. More and more students from the region are looking for programs at foreign universities, even if they are self-financed and more expensive. Why is that? The answer may lie in the fact that the university itself has failed to adapt to the changing climate.
The current economic climate requires that the region’s tertiary education institutions rapidly provide a broad base of qualified professionals. This is believed to kick-start the region’s potential to compete with the commercial megablocks that have emerged recently. This requires our learning institutions to facilitate broader and more affordable access to education for people in the region. Developed countries have turned to online distance learning programs to achieve this goal. Admittedly, one of the compelling shortcomings of UWI is that while leading universities around the world have successfully established accredited online learning programs, “UWI is still trying to catch up.” The absence of an effective online learning program to facilitate widespread and cost-effective access to tertiary education speaks volumes. In the context of our geography, it is indicative of the inability of the University to adequately position itself to meet the needs of the people and countries of the region.
Who is to say that the strategies and timing of the UWI are not in accordance with the demonstrated needs of its people? The real question is what role the UWI should play in preparing the region for the CSME. Is there a defined role or specific aspect for which you should take responsibility? The question of whether the UWI is doing enough or what it should be doing will continue to be a matter of debate. What is beyond dispute is that the UWI can and should do more to prepare the region for the challenges of the CSME.