The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) have formally strengthened their longstanding collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, UWI Cave Hill Campus on May 28, 2026.
The agreement brings together two regional institutions established to serve the collective interests of the Caribbean and reflects a shared commitment to more deliberate, coordinated and strategic collaboration in addressing the region’s digital development, policy, and resilience priorities.
The MoU provides a framework for long‑term cooperation in areas including digital policy and regulation, research and evidence‑based decision‑making, capacity development, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, resource mobilization and the translation of regional digital strategies into implementation. It builds on a history of UWI expertise contributing to CTU‑led policy development and capacity‑building initiatives, including more recent collaboration on artificial intelligence policy and regional digital harmonisation efforts.
Commenting on the signing, Ms. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice‑Chancellor, Global Affairs at The University of the West Indies, stated _“This Memorandum of Understanding reflects our shared recognition that the Caribbean’s digital challenges—and opportunities—require coordinated regional leadership. Through this partnership, UWI and CTU are committing to work more intentionally to strengthen policy coherence, build regional capacity, and ensure that Caribbean perspectives are meaningfully represented in global digital and data governance conversations. This collaboration is about advancing development, resilience, and agency for the region.”_
CTU Secretary‑General, Mr. Rodney Taylor, highlighting the importance of the partnership and its implications for regional digital policy and cooperation, stated _“This partnership brings together The UWI’s academic excellence and the CTU’s regional policy leadership to strengthen digital transformation across the Caribbean. As we navigate emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, data governance, cybersecurity, and digital resilience, this collaboration will help ensure that the region not only responds to global developments but actively shapes them. Most importantly, this MoU moves us from dialogue to action, delivering tangible outcomes that advance sustainable development and benefit Caribbean people.”_
The signing takes place at a critical moment for the Caribbean, as digital transformation increasingly shapes economic growth, public service delivery, climate resilience, and regional competitiveness. By aligning academic expertise with regional policy leadership, the UWI–CTU partnership seeks to help ensure that digital transformation delivers inclusive and sustainable benefits for Caribbean people.
As a regional university with campuses across the Caribbean, UWI is uniquely positioned to support CTU’s mandate through research, training, policy support and global engagement. The MoU marks a transition from ad hoc collaboration to a more structured, future‑focused partnership aimed at shaping—not merely responding to—the evolving digital landscape.
As the partners move immediately to implementation, initial priorities include the joint hosting of a Regional AI Forum in Trinidad (July 23–24), advancing regional digital governance and policy harmonisation during CTU ICT Week 2026 in French Guiana (September 20–24), operationalising The UWI Institute for Intelligent Systems, Governance and Human‑Centred Technology (INSIGHT), and addressing regional capacity development needs through The UWI–ITU Academy Training Centre, UWI’s collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union. Together, these actions signal a clear transition from agreement to delivery, anchored in shared regional priorities and tangible outcomes.
For further information contact Ms. Lois St Brice, Office of Global Affairs, The University of the West Indies, pvcglobal@uwi.edu.
**END**
**Notes to Editor:**
See photos attached for consideration to accompany release. Photo captions:
* **Image 769A6138:** Ms. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, The University of the West Indies and Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union
* **Image 769A6140:** Ms. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, The University of the West Indies and Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union
* **Image 769A6147:** Mr. Rodney Lewis, Business Development Specialist, Caribbean Telecommunications Union; Ms. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, The University of the West Indies; Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union; and Professor Clive Landis, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
**About The University of the West Indies**
The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.
Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: [Mona in Jamaica](https://www.mona.uwi.edu/), [St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago](https://sta.uwi.edu/), [Cave Hill in Barbados](https://sta.uwi.edu/), [Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda,](https://fiveislands.uwi.edu/) and its [Global Campus](https://global.uwi.edu/), along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.
Validated by its inclusion in the _Times Higher Education (THE)_ annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE’s prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s [International School for Development Justice (ISDJ),](https://www.uwi.edu/isdj/) a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.
The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at [www.uwi.edu](http://www.uwi.edu).
**About the Caribbean Telecommunications Union**
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to supporting the development of the Caribbean information and communications technologies (ICT) sector. The CTU also promotes coordination of ICT at the regional level, identifies and removes roadblocks to ICT development, keeps track of industry progress and responds to the needs of the ICT sector, all with the aim of creating a cohesive regional approach to an ICT agenda which embraces the needs of all stakeholders. The CTU is committed to ICT development that reaches the citizens of the region, creating affordable access to ICT and helping citizens to use ICT effectively to transform their lives.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: The UWI and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union Formalise Strategic Partnership to Advance Regional Digital Development.