Anguilla premier highlights UWI’s role in regional development

Premier of Anguilla Cora Richardson-Hodge has underscored the critical role of The University of the West Indies (UWI) in shaping national and regional development while delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the university’s biennial Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings.

The two-day hybrid meeting, hosted by the Government of Anguilla, opened on March 3 and brought together senior government officials and university leaders to review the institution’s financial and strategic priorities.

Addressing delegates, Richardson-Hodge emphasised the importance of the forum, noting that the decisions made during the meetings have far-reaching implications for national capacity and regional competitiveness.

“The decisions taken in this forum affect national capacity, regional competitiveness and the future,” she said, while reflecting on the realities facing small island states. She added that despite economic uncertainty, climate vulnerability and rapid technological change, regional cooperation has remained a key response for Caribbean nations.

The premier also stressed the importance of continued financial support from member states, warning that delays or reductions in contributions could affect staffing, student support, programme quality and innovation across the university system.

Anguilla’s Minister of Social Development and Education, Shellya Rogers-Webster, echoed those sentiments, highlighting the importance of education for small island states and the value of the partnership between Anguilla and UWI.

She noted that the collaboration ensures Anguillian students benefit from regional academic excellence while contributing to the Caribbean’s intellectual development.

Vice-Chancellor of UWI, Hilary Beckles, said the institution remains in a strong position globally, pointing to its ranking among the top 3.6 percent of universities worldwide in the 2026 Times Higher Education rankings.

Beckles described the TAC meetings as an important opportunity to engage with contributing governments and provide transparency about the university’s governance and accountability processes.

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“We know that the people of the Caribbean deserve to have a first-class university,” he said, noting that UWI continues to manage its resources strategically despite economic pressures across the region.

Also addressing the ceremony, Permanent Secretary in Anguilla’s Ministry of Education, Bonnie Richardson-Lake, described the TAC process as a critical mechanism for aligning the university’s resources with its mission and the needs of Caribbean societies.

The meetings bring together permanent secretaries and senior officials from the 17 contributing countries that support UWI to review the university’s 2026–2028 budget estimates across its campuses and affiliated entities.

Recommendations from the TAC will be submitted to the Campus and University Grants Committees, which help guide final budget approvals and the institution’s long-term financial sustainability.

The opening ceremony was chaired by UWI bursar Andrea McNish. Fifteen of the 17 contributing countries were represented on the first day of the meeting, which also included cultural performances ahead of two days of budget deliberations.