UWI/UN MoU provides international trade opportunities for students

UWI/UN MoU provides international trade opportunities for students

University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, WI. Monday, June 24, 2024 — Students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus will benefit from greater opportunities for international trade policy research and career development following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The signing of the agreement took place at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 18 June 2024, coinciding with the annual study trip to Geneva for SRC Master of International Trade Policy (MITP) students. The agreement, signed by Professor Clive Landis, Principal of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, and Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, promises to enhance the educational experience of students in the MITP program, including their annual study trip to Geneva, and to promote research in trade and trade-related areas that the SRC has been leading for many years.

Vice-Chancellor Clive Landis praised the “thriving partnership” for strengthening trade studies and attracting Caribbean students.

Landis added: “This MOU signals our mutual commitment to providing our students with unparalleled opportunities to gain hands-on experience and deepen their understanding of international trade policy, which will benefit not only their studies but also their future careers.”

Pedro Manuel Moreno agreed and stressed the mutual benefits of the partnership, especially in the field of research.

“Research is one of the main pillars of our work,” said Mr. Moreno, noting that the Organization’s core strengths are in providing data and analysis, facilitating consensus building, and providing technical assistance to developing countries. “Research is essential not only for policy dialogue and intergovernmental deliberations, but also for our technical cooperation activities,” he added.

The new MoU will provide a strong platform for UWI students to engage in meaningful research and professional activities, further enabling them to become influential contributors to international trade and sustainable development.

The MoU builds on more than a decade of collaboration between UNCTAD and the University of the West Indies, strengthening joint research on trade-related topics in the Caribbean. It also enhances capacity building through student study tours, a cornerstone of the partnership. Since 2012, more than 200 students have benefited from these physical and virtual tours, gaining cutting-edge knowledge about the evolving global economy and understanding the workings of multilateralism.

Each year’s visit covers a variety of key issues in the Caribbean’s development agenda, including economic challenges facing small island developing States, sustainable ocean economies, climate change, regional trade integration and preferential agreements such as the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr. Jan-Yves Remy, Director of the Singapore Research Center, Matthew Wilson, Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Professor Troy Lord, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at the Cave Hill Campus, staff from the Singapore Research Center and UNCTAD, and students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology.

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Front row (left) President Landis and Deputy Secretary General Pedro Manuel Moreno display the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of faculty, staff, UWI Cave Hill Campus and UNCTAD.

Front row (left to right) Ambassador of Barbados Matthew Wilson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Pedro Manuel Moreno, President Clive Landis, Director of the SRC Dr. Jan-Yves Remy, Ms. Chantal Lane Carpentier, Mr. David Vivas Ugi and students and staff of the Master of International Trade Policy program pose for a group photo at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

About the University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies has been a key force in all aspects of development in the Caribbean and has been at the heart of all efforts to improve the well-being of the people of the region for 75 years.

UWI began as University College London in Jamaica in 1948 with 33 medical students. Today, UWI is an internationally renowned global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona from Jamaica, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Mountain in Barbados, The five islands of Antigua and Barbuda and Global Campusand A global center established in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The University of the West Indies offers more than 1000 Certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options exist Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it has access to the largest pool of BroadCast Unitedlectual and professional knowledge in the Caribbean, working to address critical issues in our region and around the world.

The University of the West Indies is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the world by the most reputable ranking agencies. Times Higher Education (THE). Since UWI first appeared in the Times Higher Education rankings in 2018, it has performed well across a number of categories, including the World University Rankings, the Golden Age University Rankings (50 to 80 years old), the Latin America Rankings and the Impact Rankings, which are noted for their response to the world’s greatest concerns, as outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including good health and well-being, gender equality and climate action.

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