At his formal Installation at St. Augustine campus on Saturday night (February 26), the seventh Vice Chancellor of UWI, Professor Eon Nigel Harris disclosed to a packed audience that nowhere in his career plan did he envisage becoming Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. However, he said that:

“to become VC of the Caribbean intellectual powerhouse, to partner with so many talented people both within and without the walls of the University, and to do so now as we are poised on the brink of new advances toward Caribbean unity is an opportunity that I would have hated to miss”

The VC was at the time addressing some 600 invited guests from Trinidad and the wider region including President George Maxwell Richards and Mrs. Richards; Prime Ministers of St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Kenny Anthony and Dr. Ralph Gonzalves respectively; and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, Mr. Colm Imbert. The three campuses were also well represented at all levels by faculty and staff. Among the guests were the three campus principals as well as former Chancellor and VC, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Rex Nettleford respectively. Student representatives from across the University, members of the business community and public sector officials and diplomatic representatives were all part of the celebration.

This humble individual, driven by his intense desire to contribute to the development of the Caribbean region has left his prestigious position as Dean and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine where he earned an international reputation as a rheumatologist, to become VC of the UWI. The desire to make a difference is underscored by his repeated calls for Caribbean integration, development and unity throughout his inaugural address:

“Our University has played a vital role in forging a Caribbean identity, and, if we appropriately mobilize ourselves, and if appropriately utilized by our governments, businesses and public, we can be a central player in that drum roll that must sweep us forward towards Caribbean integration.”

Although Professor Harris has pursued a career in Medicine, his eloquence in speaking and writing underscores his true heritage as the son of renowned novelist Wilson Harris (of “Palace of the Peacock” fame). For the length of his presentation he carried his audience with him as he smoothly outlined his vision as Vice Chancellor for the UWI of tomorrow.

Professor Harris shared his answer to four vital questions with the audience: How must the University re-position itself to enhance its services to its stakeholders? How might UWI better partner with Caribbean governments to propel sustainable development in the region? How can UWI improve its outreach and delivery of programmes to non-campus countries: and how can UWI generate more non-governmental revenues to better support growth and enterprise?

He said that the answers to these questions could only be achieved by demonstrating that “we are better than the best. We must show unequivocally and unassailably that we are first in education, first in research and the port of first call for our governments.” The VC also said that “ as we advance in the new age of information and communication technology, we must also assure our students everywhere in the Caribbean that they can gain access to a UWI education “at any time, from any place.”

He closed by challenging Caribbean governments to propose in instances where they cannot contract primarily with UWI, and needed to seek out consultants outside the region, that they demand that at least 20-30 percent of the service be provided by individuals in regional organizations.

The Vice Chancellor also outlined some of the initiatives he had undertaken since assuming office. This included the Vice Chancellor’s Hurricane Relief Task Force which was established to assist victims of hurricane Ivan in Grenada. It comprised of over 100 faculty members with expertise in fields related to reconstruction, rehabilitation and vulnerability reduction. Professor Harris said that he hoped that that the task force would ultimately provide the basis for a regional Center of Excellence in Disaster Management.

He also talked about the Mauritius Plan arising out of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. He said that of all the initiatives outlined in this Plan he was most interested in building capacity in science and technology. What was tragically lacking, he said was the funding to transform innovative ideas into marketable products. He further urged that one regional foundation be created to source funding for these projects rather than individual foundations being proposed by Governments.