Each month, an individual at a different ACU member institution is invited to write the introduction for this newsletter, providing an opportunity to highlight perspectives. This month, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies writes for us about the blue economy's potential. Dear ,
Described as the ‘new economic frontier’, ocean industries are forecasted to employ 40 million full time equivalent jobs by 2030. This signals the blue economy’s potential, particularly in high-value industries such as aquaculture, marine biotechnology, deep seabed mining, and ocean renewable energy. These are areas which are currently under-developed in the Caribbean. Partnership and support are vital as we take the foundational steps in the Caribbean’s transition to sustainable ocean economies. In January, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) joined forces with the ACU and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to establish the Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE) at our university’s newest campus, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda. Aimed at advancing scholarship and strengthening institutional capacity in the areas of marine science and the blue economy, this Centre is one example of the kind of collaboration needed for the Caribbean’s blue economy to take shape. Already, an ACU-funded mapping exercise has highlighted the appetite for collaboration across ACU member universities. This illustrated the range of potential areas for partnership and provided an indication of institutional research and education strengths across the Commonwealth – all of which will be leveraged as we move forward to build out the COBE. This collaboration follows on another first of its kind – our UWI-UNDP Public Policy Think Tank for a Blue Economy, birthed in 2019, to strengthen the linkages between university research and public policy on critical matters for activating the region’s blue economy. Initiatives like these are rooted in our university’s current strategic plan, which is sharply focused on revitalising Caribbean development, and developing a culture of resilience in the Caribbean. As an activist university, The UWI is deeply committed to its role both in the region and in the global advocacy on the SDGs. In this vein, our work to advance climate justice with partners such as the Open Society Foundations, and our work with the ACU through the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network is also pivotal. We are keenly aware that it is through partnerships with international players that we will be able to achieve critical mass and scale, thereby amplifying the impact of our work. As the current pandemic has underscored, global development goals can only be achieved by working together. At The UWI we welcome partnerships, regionally and globally, that are committed to transformational change and driven by purpose and passion. Professor Sir Hilary Beckles
Vice-Chancellor
The University of the West Indies |
