The University of the West Indies (UWI) has officially launched its 2025 graduation season, marking a significant milestone with nearly 9,000 degrees conferred across its five campuses in Mona (Jamaica), St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago), Cave Hill (Barbados), Five Islands (Antigua and Barbuda), and its Global Campus. The first of 15 ceremonies began this weekend at the Five Islands Campus, the youngest in the UWI system, setting the stage for a series of celebrations that will span the region.
This year’s graduation theme, ‘Pelicans in an AI-Driven Future – Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow,’ encapsulates the transformative journey of the Class of 2025. These graduates embarked on their academic pursuits during a pivotal era marked by the rise of remote learning and artificial intelligence. Emerging as digitally fluent and resilient leaders, they are poised to shape the Caribbean’s future in an increasingly tech-driven global landscape.
Among the graduating class are the inaugural cohorts of the Master of Arts in Teaching Exceptional Children and the Bachelor of Science in Data Science, Innovation Management, and Computer Science. These programs underscore UWI’s commitment to addressing contemporary challenges and equipping students with cutting-edge skills.
In a longstanding tradition, UWI will also bestow honorary degrees upon 11 distinguished individuals whose contributions span music, agriculture, religion, science, research, and aviation. These honorees exemplify the university’s dedication to celebrating Caribbean excellence and global impact.
The ceremonies will be broadcast live and on-demand via UWItv.global, UWItv’s Facebook Live, Flow EVO channels, and Flow’s Bluu mobile app, allowing family, friends, and well-wishers worldwide to partake in the celebrations.
Founded in 1948 as a university college of London with just 33 medical students, UWI has evolved into a globally respected institution with nearly 50,000 students. It offers over 1,000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate degree options across diverse fields, including Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport.
UWI’s global standing is further validated by its consistent inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018. It is the only English-speaking Caribbean institution featured in four of THE’s prestigious ranking lists: World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings, Latin America Rankings, and Impact Rankings, which assess contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This recognition has also catalyzed the establishment of UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISD), a global online graduate business school aimed at nurturing future leaders for sustainable development. As an SDG-engaged university, UWI continues to play a pivotal role in Caribbean development and global progress.