In a campaign address delivered Thursday evening to supporters in St. John’s Rural West, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne made a landmark announcement: the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus will officially launch a full law degree programme, marking the most significant expansion of the country’s tertiary education sector in recent history.
Browne framed the new programme as a cornerstone achievement of his administration, which has made expanding accessible higher education a central policy priority since the establishment of the Five Islands Campus. For Antigua and Barbuda, which gained independence decades ago, Browne argued that the widespread access to university education enabled by the campus represents one of the most transformative national developments since sovereignty was achieved.
Today, the Five Islands Campus draws students not just from across Antigua and Barbuda, but also from member states across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), positioning it as a regional hub for tertiary learning. Browne emphasized that expanding affordable, local access to higher education is a foundational driver of both social mobility and long-term economic growth. “One of the best ways to lift people out of poverty is to give them access to education,” he noted, adding that the new law degree is tailored to equip young Antiguans and Barbudans with the specialized professional skills needed to drive ongoing national development.
Beyond the new tertiary programme, Browne highlighted additional ongoing education-focused infrastructure projects underway in the St. John’s Rural West constituency, including the construction of a new Five Islands primary school. These investments, he said, are part of a broader effort to revitalize local communities and improve public services for residents across the region.
The introduction of a local law degree is expected to deliver far-reaching benefits for the country. Currently, most students seeking legal training must pursue their degrees abroad, a barrier that imposes significant financial burdens on families and limits access for many talented young people. A local programme will eliminate that barrier, and over time, it is projected to strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s domestic legal sector and broader professional economy by increasing the pool of locally trained legal professionals.
The announcement came as Browne hit the campaign trail ahead of the country’s upcoming general election, urging voters to re-elect the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party. He closed his remarks by drawing a contrast between his administration’s track record and opponents’ policy pledges, noting that the education expansion and infrastructure projects delivered under his government are proof of a record of “performance, not promises.”