Antiguan students were among hundreds of graduates celebrated at the 2025 graduation ceremony of the University of the West Indies Global Campus, marking the completion of programmes ranging from certificates and associate degrees to bachelor’s degrees across multiple disciplines.

Graduates from Antigua and Barbuda earned qualifications in areas including education, social sciences, law, tourism and hospitality, and science, with several receiving first class honours and distinctions. The ceremony highlighted the achievements of students who pursued higher education while balancing work, family responsibilities and national challenges.

Addressing the graduating class, UWI Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles described the Class of 2025 as a generation shaped by resilience, noting that many completed their studies amid hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty. He told graduates they were entering a world marked by climate change, inequality and conflict, but said they were equipped to lead and innovate.

“You did not arrive here by accident. You arrived through sacrifice, through resilience, through nights of study and days of doubt,” Beckles said, urging graduates to see themselves as “builders” and “architects” of a Caribbean future defined by innovation rather than limitation.

Beckles also pointed to the role of small island communities such as Antigua in producing global solutions, arguing that excellence is cultivated at home. “A village in Antigua, a district in Jamaica, a parish in Barbados can be the birthplace of global solutions,” he said.

The ceremony also featured the conferment of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Sir Calix George of St Lucia, while valedictorian Alex Anderson reflected on the flexibility of the Global Campus in allowing students to pursue higher education alongside other commitments.

Graduates were formally welcomed into the UWI alumni community and encouraged to remain engaged with the institution as they move into professional life, carrying what Beckles described as their “story, responsibility and hope” into their communities across the region.