On May 28, 2026, two leading Caribbean regional institutions, The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), took a landmark step forward in their decades-long collaborative relationship by signing a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at UWI’s Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, located on its Cave Hill Campus.
The new agreement formalizes a shared strategic vision between the two organizations, both founded to advance the collective interests of Caribbean nations. It codifies a commitment to more intentional, coordinated cooperation to tackle the region’s most pressing digital priorities, spanning inclusive digital development, robust policy frameworks, and strengthened digital resilience. For years, UWI has leveraged its world-class academic expertise to support CTU-led initiatives in policy development and workforce capacity building, from early regional connectivity projects to recent cutting-edge work on artificial intelligence governance and cross-border digital harmonization. The new MoU elevates this informal, ad hoc partnership into a structured, long-term collaboration with a clear action framework.
Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will work together across a broad range of critical areas: digital policy design and regulatory development, evidence-based research to inform decision-making, targeted capacity building for regional stakeholders, cross-sector stakeholder engagement, advocacy for pro-development digital policies, resource mobilization for regional projects, and the translation of high-level regional digital strategies into on-the-ground implementation.
Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTU, emphasized the transformative potential of the formalized partnership in an address following the signing. “This collaboration brings together UWI’s unrivaled academic excellence and CTU’s decades of experience in regional policy leadership to accelerate and strengthen digital transformation across every corner of the Caribbean,” Taylor explained. “As we grapple with fast-evolving global digital challenges, from regulating artificial intelligence to improving data governance, strengthening cybersecurity, and building systemic digital resilience, this partnership will not just help our region keep up with global changes—it will empower us to actively shape those changes on terms that work for Caribbean people. Most importantly, this MoU moves us beyond dialogue to tangible action, delivering outcomes that advance sustainable development and improve lives across the region.”
The signing comes at a critical juncture for the Caribbean, where digital transformation has emerged as a core driver of economic growth, improved public service delivery, enhanced climate change resilience, and stronger global regional competitiveness. By aligning UWI’s deep academic research and training capacity with CTU’s on-the-ground regional policy mandate, the partnership aims to ensure that the benefits of digital innovation are distributed equitably across all Caribbean communities, delivering inclusive, long-term sustainable growth.
As a regional university with a physical presence across multiple Caribbean nations, UWI holds a unique position to advance CTU’s mission, drawing on its cross-campus expertise to deliver cutting-edge research, professional training, policy advisory support, and global engagement opportunities. The MoU marks a clear shift from occasional collaborative projects to a cohesive, future-focused partnership designed to proactively shape the evolving digital landscape, rather than simply reacting to external changes.
The partners have already begun moving forward with implementation, with four initial priorities flagged for immediate action: the co-hosting of a landmark Regional AI Forum in Trinidad, scheduled for July 23–24, 2026; advancing work on cross-regional digital governance and policy harmonization during CTU’s 2026 ICT Week to be held in French Guiana from September 20–24; the formal operational launch of UWI’s Institute for Intelligent Systems, Governance and Human-Centred Technology (INSIGHT); and expanded targeted capacity building programming through the UWI–ITU Academy Training Centre, UWI’s existing collaborative initiative with the International Telecommunication Union. These immediate actions make clear that the partnership is moving rapidly from agreement to delivery, grounded in shared regional priorities and a focus on tangible, people-centered outcomes.
For additional information about the new partnership, interested parties can contact Ms. Lois St Brice from the Office of Global Affairs at The University of the West Indies.