U.W.I. celebrates 60th anniversary

Today the University of the West Indies celebrated its sixtieth anniversary on all its campuses throughout the Caribbean. The U.W.I.’s presence in Belize started with the Extra Mural Department at the then Bliss Institute, followed by the current centre on Princess Margaret Drive, which was built in 1977. Acting Resident Tutor of the U.W.I. campus in Belize, Jane Menzies Bennett, says the university’s aim was to raise the level of education throughout the region and so far, they’ve had significant success.

Jane Menzies Bennett, Acting Resident Tutor, U.W.I., Belize
“The figure quoted is seventy thousand students since U.W.I. came on board. For Belize I’m not sure what that figure is today, but I would say in the thousands. I know today here at the Centre we have a student body of about three hundred people and that’s Bachelor’s programmes, as well as our Associate’s and local courses that we provide. So we are, I would say, the leader in the region and in Belize as well, providing tertiary level education, both at the Bachelor’s and Associate’s level. And we do have programs at the Master’s level as well.”

U.W.I. has planned a series of events in connection with the anniversary, starting with an Ecumenical service at Saint John’s Cathedral next Sunday. For the remainder of the year the institution will collaborate with other agencies and bodies to hold joint sporting events. It also plans to coordinate with the Women’s Department to conduct a National Women’s Day Summit in March.