TCI: Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Turks and Caicos Islands and The University of The West Indies

#Providenciales, 23 October, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – On the evening of Tuesday, October 16, 2018, after the launching of the JAGS McCartney Lecture Series at Shore Club Turks and Caicos, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services and the University of the West Indies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is designed to stimulate and provide tools for the pathway forward for national development.

This symbolic gesture demonstrated the Turks and Caicos Islands Government commitment to the strengthening of the relationship with the University of the West Indies (UWI) as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Minister of Education, Hon Karen Malcolm, signed on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and Professor Dencil Williams signed on behalf of the University of the West Indies.  This Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of the Governor, the Premier, the Attorney General and all other distinguished and invited guests.

This MOU will facilitate the opening of the UWI Open Campus in Providenciales and will allow for far-reaching benefits to students of the Turks and Caicos Islands.  The MOU seeks to formalize and strengthen the relationship while fostering greater co-operation between the two involved.

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has broken into the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the first time.  The 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings has ranked The UWI among the world’s top institutions.  The rankings show that The UWI is located among the 1,258 top universities in world for 2019.  This puts The UWI in the elite band of the top 5% of universities worldwide based on data showing that there are over 25,000 recognized universities, globally.  Specifically, Times Higher Education ranked The UWI at 591 out of the 1,258 universities which made the list.

The UWI is the only Caribbean institution on the world-wide list.  It was also the only Caribbean university ranked earlier this year in THE’s 2018 Latin America University Rankings, in the region that is home to over 100 universities contributing to sustainable development.

The Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services continues its quest to encourage and facilitate all Turks and Caicos Islanders to further their education and enrolled into Tertiary Studies.  As part of this mandate, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in recent years attained full membership to the University of the West Indies. This therefore enables Turks and Caicos Islanders who are not beneficiaries of a scholarship to be able to attend any of the University of the West Indies three campuses in Jamaica, Barbados or Trinidad & Tobago and pay a reduced tuition fee.

This Memorandum of Understanding tangibly commemorates the relationship between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and the University of the West Indies.

Press Release: TCIG