The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (The UWI FIC) and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is aimed at fostering educational and sporting excellence.
The June 21 signing ceremony, which took place during The UWI FIC Annual Management Retreat, was witnessed by several officials from the university and the Ministry of Education and Sport, a release from the university said.
It also followed negotiations between the institutions and marks the beginning of an exciting partnership that aims to integrate academic programmes with professional sports, providing students with firsthand experience in the sporting world. This partnership will offer several benefits including internships for UWI students with the Falcons franchise, starting as early as July 2024.
Speaking at the ceremony, Campus Principal of The UWI Five Islands, Professor C Justin Robinson, highlighted the importance of this partnership in balancing academic engagement in both traditional and non-traditional areas.
“We believe the partnership will encourage a balance of enrolment at the institution, providing capacity for internships in sport around the Falcons franchise. It’s quite critical as we build out the Five Islands brand and the programming we are offering, programming that may appeal to the male audience,” he said.
He also noted that the MOU comes at an opportune time as the UWI Five Islands launches its Academy of Sport and is set to offer several undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the area.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Jefferson Miller, emphasised the mutual benefits of this partnership.
“Falcons is not only a cricket enterprise, but we also wanted to give back something to Antigua. Cricket now is big business; it’s a multi-million-dollar industry, and we believe that having the opportunity for students from our university to partner or collaborate with the Falcons would be a win-win situation.”
He emphasised that the franchise sees this as a long-term partnership aimed at benefitting Antigua and Barbuda and the region.
Minister of Education, Sport and Creative Industries, Hon Daryll Matthew, commended the initiative, noting its potential to yield significant benefits.
“Great things happen when access and opportunity meet. I believe that this event here today and what will come out of this for our young people, our citizens, our residents, our stakeholders is really a great joining of access and opportunity that will create great things as a result,” he said.
The signing ceremony was attended by members of the UWI Five Islands Management Team, and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Management Team.
The partnership between the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and The UWI Five Islands Campus represents a strategic endeavour by the two Antiguan and Barbudan headquartered institutions to integrate academic pursuits with professional sports, enhancing the educational experience while contributing to the development of sports and in particular, cricket, in the region.
