GRENADA – The Grenada Government became the contributor of the third largest parcel of land to the University of the West Indies for the construction of a campus, with the formal transfer of 85 acres of land at Hope in St. Andrew early Friday (July 26).
Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas presented the documents for the land to the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies Professor E. Nigel Harris at a ceremony, attended by Government Ministers, Senior Public Officers and the Media on Friday morning, at the Ministry of Works Conference Room at the Ministerial Complex, Tanteen.
The Prime Minister was “delighted” with the development, which “marked a significant investment in the future of the people of Grenada,” especially the North Eastern section of the island.
He said the decision to locate the campus in the Hope area was in keeping with his government’s pre-election pledge to decentralize development and make education accessible to “all of our citizens.”
“This project will afford both a short term and long term progress to Hope and surrounding areas, similar to the changes and enhancements that came with campus locations in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica,” The Prime Minister said, having had the personal experience of studying at both UWI Cave Hill and St. Augustine campuses.
According to the Prime Minister, evidence of the government’s commitment to education can be seen by its investments in both the physical plant, with the repair of facilities and buildings, along with programmes for the enhancement of the human resource, through scholarships and financial assistance to help educators to attain degrees.
The Prime Minister said Government is “sparing no effort in making all possible opportunities available”, including partnering with the UWI to expand its operations in Grenada, to the benefit of “our children and children’s children.”
The provision of higher education as a part of the transformation of the Grenadian educational landscape and economy formed part of the government‘s pre-election campaign.
“For many years governments have focused on short term interests. We took the bold decision to raised the bar and instead place our attention on securing our future by investing in the education of our people allowing them to take advantage of the opportunities that are becoming and will become available. We are proud of our achievements in this area,” the Grenadian leader said.
According vice Chancellor Harris, work on the clearing of the land will start soon while construction will be done on a phased basis and will begin in a “few months”.
