UWI Five Islands Welcomes Record Number of New Students at 2025 Matriculation
The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus formally welcomed its largest cohort to date at the 2025 Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony in St John’s, Antigua.
Despite heavy showers on Thursday afternoon, more than 400 new students gathered alongside staff, families, and guests for the annual event that marks their formal entry into the UWI community.
Campus Principal Professor Justin Robinson told students they were joining a rapidly expanding institution. For the 2025 academic year, the Five Islands Campus admitted 443 students from a record 750 applicants, with total enrolment now surpassing 1,300.
The cohort includes students from Antigua and Barbuda, as well as others enrolled virtually from across the Eastern Caribbean, including St Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, St Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, and St Lucia.
“This is a rapidly growing community,” Professor Robinson said, urging the new students to see themselves not only as learners but as “the architects of Caribbean transformation.”
The programme included a symbolic signing of the matriculation register on behalf of the incoming class, the recitation of the academic vow, and the lighting of the “Flame of Excellence,” a tradition that represents knowledge, truth, and shared responsibility.
Campus Registrar Dr Camille Samuel reminded students that the ceremony was both a welcome and a commitment. “You are signing up to be part of the UWI community for life,” she said. “The world will expect great things from you.”
Vice President of the Guild of Students, Francela Antwine, also addressed the gathering, assuring new entrants that the Guild would be their advocates and supporters throughout their university journey.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles joined the ceremony virtually, highlighting UWI’s standing as one of the top five percent of universities globally. He reminded students that their success would have a direct bearing on the social and economic development of the region.
“You are a minority within a minority,” he said. “We are relying on your success not only for your families, but for your communities and your societies.”
The students concluded the ceremony by reciting the academic vow and singing the university song led by the Five Islands Chorale, signalling the start of their journey within the UWI system.
For many, the event represented both a milestone and a challenge — a formal welcome into an institution where, as Professor Robinson told them, the mission is to become change-makers for the Caribbean.
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