This November/December issue will be the final publication for UWItoday for 2005. We set the precedent therefore for 11 publications each year. Since this is the last paper for this year, perhaps I should spend a few moments recapping the past year, reflecting on some of our challenges while beginning the process of planning another year of publications.

Many thanks to The Sunday Guardian which has supported this project one hundred percent. I must admit that I was apprehensive when a team of us began discussing with The Guardian in late 2004, the possibility of starting a 16-page, monthly UWI newspapers. I wondered whether we could actually do it! But here we are, the final issue, and what a sense of accomplishment! I want to publicly thank two persons who were instrumental in starting this UWI publication - our Principal Dr. Bhoe Tewarie who had the vision and foresight to initiate such a venture and Mr. Grenfell Kissoon, the Guardian’s General Manager who wholeheartedly gave his support to get it off the ground. Without the faith and support of these two gentlemen, nothing would have been achieved! Their patience, advice, experience and unwavering support really saw me through the very tough times.

Also my heartfelt gratitude to Steve Ouditt, who was there at the inception and who gave us our signature “UWItoday”, and our graphic artist, Ken Alleyne of Ken Alleyne Art who became part of the UWI team and who really worked tirelessly and dedicatedly to ensure that we maintain the high quality of the paper. To my own team at the Principal’s Office, I could not have reached this far without you. Thank you all, very much.

None of our success would have been possible without the support of the corporate sector: FCB, CMMB, CLICO, HCL Group of Companies, Republic Bank, and The CL Communication Network. Because of their financial support, the UWItoday cost the University very little to publish each month. It is my hope that they will continue to see this as a educational and worthwhile project to support.

To my writers - the faculty and staff of the Campus - thank you sincerely for believing in the vision of creating UWItoday. The idea behind the publication was to showcase the work of the faculty members so that the wider public could see the University at work and to make a judgement on its relevance. We also tried to be responsive to issues of national importance whether flooding or constitutional reform. We also kept you informed on the cycle of activities which takes place annually. We also highlighted the fact that UWI is responsive to international trends in education and is actively engaged in forging partnerships, collaborating with key universities internationally. At the same time the University’s commitment to regional development always came through loud and clear, as did this Campus’s commitment to teaching and research and to the welfare and support of its students.

Our readers have been treated to a variety of research topics from the furry but not so friendly wild hog; to farming tilapia, and readers might recall our story on research which confirmed the most of wanton pollution in the Gulf of Paria. But we also focused on efforts to rehabilitate the coral reef as well as detailed articles into subjects such as the benefits of biodiversity, the link between high calorie intake and Parkinson’s disease and so on. Our readers can look forward to more stories about ongoing research taking place at UWI by our brilliant and inquisitive professors and graduate students in the coming year.

Our aim has been to increase our national readership beyond the 40,000 persons who purchase a Guardian newspaper on a Sunday morning. Additionally, some 200 copies are disseminated regionally to University committees, Heads of Governments, and the Cave Hill and Mona Campuses. We have also created a website for the newspaper for all those who wish to access it online and we are now in the process of developing a distribution list to send to all our partner universities abroad. Already some of our Canadian, American and UK partners have started to access it online.

It is only fitting that I end the publication on a high note by highlighting some of the achievements and moments of well-deserved celebration on the campus during 2005. Many thanks again and give us your feedback so that we can constantly improve. To each and every one of you Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!