Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua & Barbuda is meeting some resistance from other UWI Campus countries as it seeks to become the university’s fourth landed campus.
Browne told his radio programme over the weekend that realizing a UWI Campus at Five Islands has not been easy.
But he said come September 2019, Antigua will be opening the doors of a university even though it’s not the University of the West Indies.
“The technical committee of the university approved our university plan, unfortunately, you have some politics that is taking root now with some of the campus countries, if I may call them that, expressing concerns. They have all kind of fears, they have all kind of inuendoes…that they now bring to the fore.”
Browne said while he is unable to go into many details, he wants to reassure public that his government is fighting to ensure that the island can open the doors of its university in September.
Antigua’s University Proposal received the nod of approval by UWI’s technical committee, but the prime minister says the government is confronted by what he describes as politics that is now taking root.
He says despite what measures the other islands may use, Antigua is opening the doors of its university in September even if, the island has to do so under a different brand.
“All I want to say to them; they can jump high, jump low, we’re opening up the door of our university come September of this year; and if they put any obstacles in our way then we use another brand, it doesn’t have to be UWI.”
Browne told radio listeners that the decision to approach the University of the West Indies was based on his administration’s belief in regional integration.
“We have decided to go with UWI because we are integrationist at heart and we would expect their full cooperation. Just as how Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have campuses to educate their people, we want the same thing within the OECS, and this is an initiative in which Antigua and Barbuda shall not relent” Browne said.
Recently, Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin and Education Minister Michael Browne Trinidad and Tobago to meet with UWI officials to continue arrangements for the fourth landed campus.
Government of Antigua is already making preliminary arrangements to ensure the island can manage the cost associated with housing a UWI campus.
A building has been set aside at Five Island for the main campus.
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Antigua & Barbuda is and has been financially broke forever. Universities are notoriously expensive to run and maintain. If we cannot afford to maintain our road network or even splash a few coats of paint on our government buildings on Parliament Drive, why in the world are we now trying to force ourselves to take on the massive expense of administering a university? Careful we force our way into
this and then find we are not able to afford it and end up having it collapse leaving students and faculty hanging in mid-air with all kinds of law suits like Trump University. We will end up looking like complete jack-asses. But then again, how would that be different?
UWI will not want to be watered down…
Who at this las stage will enter tain this
Thats strange that they would not allow this when we have so much persons from Antigua who do uwi online courses and graduate. We also have a branch close to the old hospital so what’s the real issue?
Lord hear how the lingo change. So it will be a university but just not UWI. A who go accredit it! Is this a degree mill in the making! I will thing though it should be called Maduro-Browne University!
Seems to me that if Antigua is the one putting put the money to open a real respected university, then we should just call it the National University of Antigua (NUA). Why do we need to call it UWI? In fact, I bet a National University of Antigua can produce smarter and better graduates than UWI does.
The National University of Antigua (NUA) could create partnerships with top-ranked business schools from around the world for MBA programs, medical school partnerships such as with Duke Medical from the US, and many other cool ideas.
Honestly, UWI is not a good university brand and doesn’t impress me much. So let’s just focus on our own path and do something that is world-class rather than Caribbean-class.
Obviously you don’t know how an accreditation process work or how long it takes. UWI has produces many fine intelligent individuals in our society that now play major roles. Before you make bogus suggestions and assumptions please do some research and make a proper argument.
We can hardly manage Antigua state collage,
Our infrastructure is in shambles
Road project is delayed and can’t see no end in sight
Housing project has long past 500days and still can’t see anyone getting theirs homes
Cost a living is at an all time high “ supermarket are closing down all over cause there’s more sellers than buyers in the market”
Our main industry is at a stand still because lack of things to intrigue our guest.
http://www.accsc.org/UploadedDocuments/2016%20January/Beginning%20the%20Accreditation%20Process%20%20011116.pdf
Don’t see accreditation until after Antiguans understand that we have a smoke and mirrors govt. one that is not capable of planning, researching and doing things correctly and by the book… then vote these criminals out of office..but these criminals and their inheritants will be so rich and powerful by then that they will be obstructionists to any sort of good governance that could come to this country.. We r doomed and have a fight on our hands..
I am with you on this one-I have noticed over the years that its graduates(UWI) tend to take on an arrogant and stiff artificial attitude.They may have the necessary academic requirements,but they seem to me to lack Emotional intelligence ,they are just book smart.. Never impressed me much either..
If UWI not working with us, then plenty more OFF-SHORE MEDICAL Schools want that spot. Med school students spend more than any other set.
You have been singing a lot of lates…a wha mek?
It doesn’t have to be UWI. Number 1 they are not student friendly. 2…They are not the only university.
Why would any one expect the original 3 to agree to a university being open in Antigua? Geographically and Economically we stand a better chance of filling courses with persons from OECS Islands and abroad. They would never agree to such without a long fight.
Badmind will never go out of style. How dare you “small island” people expect to roll with the “big guys”
@have mercy…are we still using this as an excuse is this century?
We may be conveniently located geographically but a university is a very expensive institution to operate; not least of all the suitably QUALIFIED professors would expect to be paid salaries that match their profession. Quite simply Antigua cannot afford a university and the “big 3” know this. If Gaston Browne is so determined to open a university then perhaps he should pay for it out of his millions. Those who have actually been to university will be very aware of the cost and the fact that in many cases benefactors step in, which is not likely to happen to a government involved university in Antigua where transparency and accountability appear to be non-existent. Antigua’s corruption is not a secret in the region.
Get you all broad hats and muck coats ready…..Browne stuff is about to hit the fan!!…
Wait for the truth. This man is known to spin things a lot
I was all on board with this UWI fourth landed campus until I heard the PM say that they will implement some sort of corporate tax to help finance it. To me that sounded like they were trying to figure things out on the fly. When you undertake such a major endeavour you should already know exactly how it’s going to be financed. You can’t just arbitrarily introduce a tax to fund a project mid-stream. That should already be consulted and decided upon beforehand. That’s setting a bad precedent for other taxes to pulled out of the sky to fund projects. Besides, what happened at Antigua State College a few weeks ago was not a good look. The infrastructure of your national university is in a state of disrepair but you want a full fledged 4th UWI landed campus.
I applaud PM Browne for being a strong and decisive leader that says what he means and means what he says. But I fear that his brashness is beginning to rub other Caribbean leaders the wrong way. Beginning to fear that there will be more non co-operation and outright push back against Antigua because of his brash rhetoric. You can still be a strong and decisive leader while being diplomatic at the same time. It is we the poor hard working Antiguans who will feel the brunt of the push back. PM Browne has his millions so he will be okay.
This!!!👏👏👏👏
I’m all for the university but these ppl like they have not done a good feasibility study. Please go back to the drawing board.
They can’t maintain the state college but want a university. There are lecturers at the state college with masters degrees making $4,000 per month. Do you think people with a doctorate are going to work for this kind of money?
So all who saying we cant afford the unviersity y’all must be well off so y’all can afford to send y’all kids overseas to the 3 opposing islands then. Some of y’all just bad minded and never want no good for Antigua cause of y’all political bias. Mr. PM please hurry and get thus campus going I’ll be first in line to attend.
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