Cementing its place as the Caribbean’s top University, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) made its debut in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Rankings as the only institution in the Caribbean region to be listed in its 2018 Latin America University Rankings, released on July 18, 2018.
 
THE, the independent, prestigious UK-based ranking publication, listed The UWI among the 40 best universities in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is also significant that The UWI ranked 4th for its international agenda and 26th for its research impact. The UWI placed 37th out of 129 universities rated overall.
 
The UWI’s exceptional performance in these rankings is the result of a series of deliberate strategic initiatives advanced by The UWI in the implementation of its Triple A Strategy (Strategic Plan 2017-2022), focussed on Access, Alignment, and Agility.
 
A high-spirited Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles commented: “Entering officially into the rankings for the first time required tremendous mobilisation of resolve and resources. While we are very pleased with our entry ranking, alongside the largest, wealthiest universities, private and public, in the biggest countries we recognise that we cannot rest on our laurels, not even for ten minutes, until we have reached top ten status in the next ten years. We know what we have to do and our team is getting on with it.”  
 
Vice-Chancellor Beckles serves as the President of the Association of Caribbean Universities and Research Institutes (UNICA) with a remit to improve the regional and global standing of universities in the region.There are over 100 registered Caribbean universities. 
 
He added, “As The UWI sets its sights on the global university ranking to be released in September 2018 in Singapore, we note that radically our enhancing international reputation and status is our ultimate target.”
  
About Times Higher Education
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, founded in 2004, provide the definitive list of the world's best universities, evaluated across teaching, research, international outlook, reputation and more. THE’s data are trusted by governments and universities and are a vital resource for students, helping them choose where to study. See www.timeshighereducation.com
 
About The UWI
For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region. In 2018, The UWI celebrates its evolution from 1948 as a university college in Jamaica with 33 medical students to an internationally respected regional university with near 50,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and an Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. Its seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. The UWI has been a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of our people. As the regional institution commemorates its 70th anniversary milestone, it will celebrate its students, faculty, administrators, alumni, governments, and partners in the public and private sector. The anniversary commemoration will focus on reflection as well as projection for the future with an emphasis on social justice and the economic transformation of the region. Website: www.uwi.edu and www.uwi.edu/70 . (Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)