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| His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex, cutting the ribbon to officially declare open the?? exhibition "Looking Back… Looking Forward: 60 Years of Progress and Achievement Through Education" held today at the??Walcott-Warner Theatre of the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.??Also pictured from left are Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex; Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Ronald Jones; Chancellor of the UWI, Sir George Alleyne and Vice Chancellor of UWI, Professor E. Nigel Harris. (C. Pitt/BGIS)?? |
The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus today welcomed Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex to its community, in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
The welcome came as Their Royal Highnesses attended the official opening of the exhibition Looking Back… Looking Forward: 60 years of progress and Achievement Through Education at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, at the UWI.
Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Campus, Sir Hilary Beckles, in his remarks, invited their Royal Highnesses "to experience the beauty of the blue Caribbean Sea; the chosen backdrop for this Campus" which, he said "was commemorated in October 1963, by our Chancellor, Her Royal Highness, Princess Alice."
The island’s Ministers of Government also bore witness to the Visit and Sir Hilary acknowledged that most were graduates "if not all graduates…friends of this university". Sir Hilary further acknowledged the presence of UWI Chancellor, Professor Sir George Alleyne, Vice Chancellor Professor E. Nigel Harris and His Excellency Hugh Arthur, Barbados’ Ambassador to Britain.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said: "Welcome on behalf of the campus community here at Cave Hill. We thank your?? Royal Highnesses for consenting to declare officially open this exhibition that provides but a glimpse into 60 years of educational achievement in Barbados; a country that has built a proud and sustainable legacy?? of?? rewarding?? investment in the enterprise of formal education. Providing public education
for all of her citizens from primary to tertiary [level], Barbados has become a world leader in the field of education, planning and development.
"Conceived initially by the first Prime Minister of our country, The Right Excellent Errol Barrow, who, we celebrate in the naming of this facility, the choice of words used in the naming of this facility, Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination reflects his development philosophy that education, intellectualism and critical thinking as community assets are pre-conditions to the nation’s project of building a just society."
Sir Hilary added: "Proof of the veracity of this vision is reflected in the naming of this exhibition hall or theatre in honour of Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott, and graduate of this university and the late Earl Warner, quintessential Director of Caribbean Theatre."
Chancellor of the UWI, Sir George Alleyne, presided over the cutting of the ribbon with The Earl and Countess of Wessex who officially declared open the exhibition held in the Walcott- Warner Theatre of the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination.
The Royal Highnesses later visited the main buildings of the UWI, where upon entering the foyer; they were formally met by Chancellor, Professor Sir George Alleyne, and President of the Guild of Undergraduates of the UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Odwin Trenton, as well as others in the UWI community.