The UWI and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union Formalise Strategic Partnership to Advance Regional Digital Development
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.
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This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: UWI and Caribbean Telecommunications Union Sign Partnership to Advance Regional Digital Development.