As a lasting tribute to the life and work of the late Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, Professor The Honourable Rex Nettleford, the University of the West Indies has announced its intention to establish ‘The Rex Nettleford Foundation for Caribbean Cultural and Social Studies’.  The objective of the Foundation is to create an Endowment Fund, the proceeds of which will be used to support the research of exceptional postgraduate students and fellows in areas reflecting the breadth of Professor Nettleford’s own contributions to Caribbean development, whether in the arts, history, politics or culture of the Caribbean region.

The realm of the creative imagination was the focus of Nettleford’s quest to carve out a space in the ambiguous and often chaotic multicultural reality of the Caribbean for self–appropriation, self-expression (smaddification) and renewal of the human spirit. The ‘Cultural Studies Initiative’ which he founded at the UWI was his way of cultivating new generations of students devoted to the exploration of the creative imagination. His vision for cultural studies embraced all the so-called disciplines, cutting across the arts, the natural, social and medical sciences.

Gifts from individuals and corporations throughout the Caribbean and Diaspora are therefore being solicited to fund this Foundation. In addition to postgraduate studies and research, it is envisaged that the Foundation will eventually finance the establishment of an endowed Chair in Caribbean Cultural and Social Studies. Until the Rex Nettleford Foundation is legally established, gifts and contributions will be accepted through the UWI Regional Endowment Fund that was created in 2008 on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of The University of the West Indies.

A number of prominent individuals have already lent their support to this initiative, including the Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor Emeritus Sir Shridath Ramphal, The Most Honourable P.J. Patterson, Vice Chancellor Emeritus Sir Alister McIntyre, Dr Cezley Sampson and Mr Karl Rodney (publisher and CEO of Carib News in New York).

The initial target is to reach a total of US$5 million over a period of two years. Persons wishing to respond to this appeal may deposit their contributions into the following Bank accounts, in the respective currencies indicated.

-    RBTT Bank Jamaica Limited
17 Dominica Drive, Kingston 5, Jamaica
Account name: UWI Regional Endowment Fund Limited
Account number: 085 108 0000 200
Currency in which denominated: Jamaican dollars

-    RBTT Bank Jamaica Limited
17 Dominica Drive, Kingston 5, Jamaica
Account name: UWI Regional Endowment Fund Limited
Account number: 085 170 0001 970
SWIFT  ADDRESS: RBTTJMKN
Currency in which denominated: United States dollars
INTERMEDIARY BANK: Bank of New York, New York, NY
SWIFT ADDRESS: IRVTUS3N
ABA# 021-000-018

-    Citibank N.A.
111 Wall Street, New York, NY 10043
Account name: UWI University Centre – Special Projects
Account #:3687-8499
ABA or Routing No. 021000089
Currency in which denominated: United States dollars

-    Barclays Bank PLC
Knightsbridge International Banking, London, SW1X 0LZ
Account name: University of the West Indies – Centre Special Projects
Account #:74468466
SWIFTBIC: BARCGB22
IBAN: GB52 BARC 2047 3574 4684 66
Currency in which denominated: United States dollars

-    Barclays Bank PLC
Knightsbridge  International Banking, London, SW1X 0LZ
Account name: University of the West Indies – Centre Special Projects
Account #:50853860
SWIFTBIC: BARCGB22
IBAN : GB28 BARC 2047 3550 8538 60
Currency in which denominated: Pounds Sterling

-    RBTT  Bank Caribbean Limited
45 High Street
St. John’s, Antigua
UWI Regional Endowment Fund Limited
Account # 1600 2000 0001 0501
Currency in which denominated: EC Dollars

-    RBTT Bank Barbados Limited
Lower Broad Street
Bridgetown
SWIFT Code: RBTTBBBB
UWI Regional Endowment Fund
Account # 1-1064468
Currency in which denominated: Barbados Dollars

The University of the West Indies would wish to acknowledge each contribution made, and accordingly requests that a copy of the deposit slip or other transaction record, including the name and address of the donor and the currency and amount deposited to the given bank, be faxed to (876) 927-0264, The Institutional Advancement Division, Vice Chancellery, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7.