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Five Years In, UWI Five Islands Charts Bold Course Toward 5,000 Students
The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus has marked its fifth anniversary with a bold commitment to dramatically expand access to higher education across the Eastern Caribbean, aiming to grow its student body from just over 1,100 to 5,000 within the next decade.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the UWI Five Islands Campus Council, Principal Professor Justin Robinson reflected on the journey from a modest beginning in 2019, when the campus opened its doors with just 176 students.
Today, he said, the campus has not only surpassed expectations but is thriving—offering cutting-edge programmes and attracting students from across the OECS.
“We are rooted in the region and rising to the future,” Robinson declared. “Our growth has been organic and intentional, and we’ve proven that there is strong, unmet demand for tertiary education in the Eastern Caribbean.”
The expansion plan is guided by UWI’s AAA strategy—Accessible, Aligned, and Agile—focusing on increasing enrollment, offering career-focused programmes, and ensuring flexibility through multiple delivery modes. Approximately 50.8% of applicants were enrolled in the last academic year, underscoring both growing demand and the need for greater capacity.
Key to the university’s plan is expanding partnerships with community colleges, developing new programmes in health sciences, criminology, artificial intelligence, and blue economy, and constructing new dormitories and learning facilities.
Phase one of the campus expansion, supported by an $80 million Saudi Development Fund loan, is already underway.
Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles praised the government’s vision in establishing the Five Islands Campus, calling it a “bright star” in the UWI system and affirming its place as a pillar of development for the region.
“The campus is now a fully integrated member of the UWI family, with all contributing territories expected to support its operations,” Beckles announced. “This is not just a campus—it’s a Caribbean legacy in motion.”
The milestone also comes as the university deepens its focus on inclusive and lifelong learning, public health, digital innovation, and regional security—positioning itself to meet the future needs of small island states.
As Professor Robinson put it, “We are not just building a university. We are transforming the landscape of opportunity for the people of this region.”
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I wonder if its going to be more scholarships
Any new partnership that can help push the campus further?
Congrats!!!
Can we get more courses or updated Facilities? SMH