Season’s Greetings from all of us at MSBM!
As another year rolls around, there is much to be thankful for and much to be concerned about. At the end of 2020, we breathed a collective sigh of relief and were cautiously expectant that 2021 would herald the return of “normalcy” to our daily lives. Yet, here we are at the end of another year that has tested our mettle, presenting various challenges globally, nationally and here at Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM). COVID-19 has proved once again that while we may be done with it, it is not done with us.
In this season of reflection and thanksgiving, we therefore pause to give thanks that for the most part, we have been spared the ravages of COVID-19 as a family. We also pause to remember those who have been affected by the Pandemic, particularly those of our community.
It has therefore been very heartening to see how we have all rallied together to support each other to weather the storms. Over the past year, we have all had to face new - and in many cases - very daunting challenges, both in our professional and personal lives. This has generated a great deal of frustration and uncertainty, and a range of challenges for members of our School community not least of which is the change in how we work together and interact as staff.
We are indeed grateful to our Board of Directors, Faculty and Staff, Alumni and Students who in their various roles worked together to ensure that we not only survived but thrived. I want to specially thank our faculty and staff for the hard work, dedication and commitment displayed throughout the year with many persons taking on new and added responsibilities all in an effort to ensure that we continued to serve our stakeholders well. Our successes are built primarily on the efforts of our employees and in this past year, we have enjoyed many successes both as a School and the Company. Thank you for the dedication and commitment that each one of you has shown.
Like the rest of the world we have had to re-invent ourselves, as remote teaching, learning and consulting became the order of the day, and we are learning to exploit the opportunities despite the challenges. Online interactions, particularly in the learning space, can be disorienting at times, and I would like to pay our respects especially to our faculty and students who have proved quite adaptable in this regard. What is clear is that things will not be going back to the way they were, and our creativity and flexibility will ensure how well we thrive. We will never be totally face to face again in the future, and this allows us to expand the reach of the MSBM brand and services beyond the Caribbean.
2021 also saw The UWI soaring into the Top 1.5% of all universities globally, an achievement which we are proud of. MSBM exists within the ecosystem of The UWI, both as a School and as Company. There can be no strong MSBM without a strong UWI that provides the support for our academic research and programmes. With 20% of the UWI Mona Campus population and 6% of the overall UWI population, we can be confident of our contribution to this ranking. We remain committed to working with the rest of the UWI community to ensure that we continue to deliver an excellent experience to all our students in their quest to pursue higher education, and to our clients and partners.
There is no doubt that the new year will bring its own share of challenges as we contend with new variants of the COVID-19 virus, the upheaval in supply chains, the rising inflation, etc. Having said that, we are also sure that we are stronger when we work together to achieve a common purpose. Our strength and resilience over the past year have helped us to persevere and adapt to meet the challenges, and we therefore face the New Year with renewed confidence as we commit to supporting each other.
I wish for you and your families, a peaceful and joy filled holiday season and a New Year that brings you peace and prosperity.
David McBean,
Executive Director