The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in strengthening its relationship with the University of the West Indies (UWI) has come on board as the official partner for The UWI’s Digital Transformation Programme.

Speaking at the launch ceremony for the UWI-CDB Digital Transformation Programme on Monday (February 6), Vice-President of Operations at the CDB, Isaac Solomon, noted that through its support of the programme, the Bank is keen to strengthen decades of mutually beneficial collaboration with UWI, as it seeks to maintain a leadership role in higher education for the benefit of the region. 

The event occurred at the UWI Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew.

Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles in his message said that the university “must become and will become the digital transformation epicentre of the Caribbean.”

He explained that the programme, led by Professor of Digital Transformation, Policy, and Governance, Lloyd Waller, is more than digital technologies.

“Rather, it is the impact that the mobilisation of those technologies will have on the UWI’s core business—teaching, learning, research, efficient administration and efficiency that facilitates doing more at a lower cost, generating savings in the process, also generating revenue,” the vice-chancellor said.

Solomon, in backing Beckles said, “for us at CDB, advancing the digital transformation of UWI is critical for operational effectiveness, increased access to programmes, expansion of services, and continued competitiveness in the existing COVID-19 period and beyond,”.

The UWI reports that it is advancing its digital transformation as part of Phase II of its Triple A Strategic Plan: The Revenue Revolution, which focuses on the conversion of the University’s reputational value into much-needed revenue through the strategic use of digital technologies. 

Professor Beckles said, “increasing enrolment across The UWI also requires optimising online learning opportunities, as the shift to digital education delivery leverages technology to reduce the economic cost of tertiary education at The UWI for students in borrowing member countries. In addition, digital transformation is central to expanding the internationalisation of UWI programmes which is a key strategic goal to diversify the university’s revenue base.”

“The UWI Digital Transformation Project is therefore timely and necessary as it provides the University with the opportunity to push towards the institutional transformation needed to expand its reach as a global university and enhance the UWI brand as an institution of excellence in the Caribbean.  The project is also designed to encourage innovative teaching and learning, particularly for more vulnerable and marginalised communities within our regional space,” he continued.

Vice-Chancellor Beckles also emphasised, that the university is “not just planning its own trajectory.” “We are ensuring that The UWI remains among the best universities in the world, which is where we are located right now, and serving the people of this region. The UWI way has always been to articulate and integrate the interests of the institution with the interests of the region,” he said.

Beckles noted that over decades, The UWI has built up a team of ICT technologists and thinkers that is unparalleled in this region. “We are confident as a university in the intellectual and technical capacity of our ICT team. It is that team, currently led by University Chief Information Officer, Brigitte Collins, that’s enabled us to survive and soar above the impact of COVID-19. So we are underway with this digital transformation programme and we are able to do this with confidence because we have the internal capacity to do so, and also because we have a reliable and trustworthy strategic partner in the CDB,” he said.