The UWI rebrands its Open Campus

The University Council of The University of the West Indies (UWI), has approved the decision that the Open Campus will be rebranded as the Global Campus.

A multifaceted implementation committee is being established to formulate and roll out a plan to transition the Open Campus to the Global Campus, states a UWI release. The road map is anticipated to see incremental changes from August 1, 2023, with a full operationalization of the new Global Campus by January, 2024.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles said “The tremendous legacy of the Open Campus and the role it has for the future can only be secured in the context of fundamental restructuring and reengineering.”

Within that context, one major initiative to emerge from the new Global Campus, is a for-profit entrepreneurial income-generating Business School which will be named the International School for Development Justice (ISDJ). Centred within the parameters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it will specifically offer a new product line – SDG focused, postgraduate academic programmes delivered in an online format which leverages the excellence and expertise of the traditional Open Campus, the release reveals.

The rebranded Global Campus simultaneously seeks to improve and extend the operations of the legacy Open Campus throughout the Caribbean Region. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr. Francis O. Severin, describes the rebranding as a demonstration of the University’s faith in the asynchronous online delivery experience and expertise of the Open Campus, and how that will enable The UWI Global.

“It depicts that we are part of a bigger movement that will lead the way into the global sphere. The Open Campus is optimally placed with the technology and experience spheres to shepherd The UWI and the Region safely and efficiently into the digital global space and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Dr. Severin.

This evolution is embraced as the University marks its 75th Anniversary and celebrates its enduring legacy of service to the Caribbean community. From the Extra-Mural Department in 1948 evolved the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), and the further expansion of distance education services through UWIDITE and UWIDEC, to The UWI Open Campus, which was formally launched as part of the University’s 60th anniversary milestone in 2008.

Commenting on the evolution, Vice-Chancellor Beckles said “This evolution to the Global Campus is both a strategic move and the next natural step in our already successful global strategy. We anticipate that the Global Campus will be a major pillar in the Revenue Revolution phase of our Triple A Strategy as through aggressive entrepreneurial activity it takes our excellent programme offerings online to the regional and global academic markets.

“This is not the first time in our 75-year legacy that we have had to evolve. We will go at it as One UWI, with our signature resolve and I have no doubt that our Global Campus will only expand our reputation as a world-class University rooted in the Caribbean.”