Strategic Plan 2012-2017 to address pertinent issues

THE University of the West Indies (UWI) recognises that in order for Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean to continue to progress, they must have a strategic plan rooted in addressing the areas that would carry us forward, including the development of our human resources capacity and innovation, and, in this regard, they would be working on ensuring that this Strategic Plan can be achieved.

This was one of the messages that Dr. Damien Cohall, Chief Consultant of the UWI Health and Wellness Standards Consultancy Team, gave as he delivered remarks at the Caribbean Spa and Wellness Launch recently at the Radisson Aquatica Resort.

“The University has now transitioned into another period of consolidated thoughts and efforts to realise its mission across the region. Similar to the Strategic Plan 2007-2012, the University will serve the region by observing and conforming to the objectives set out in the new Strategic Plan 2012 to 2017, which addresses the development of human resources capacity, advocating and leading in innovation development, and to aid in product research and development. These efforts will be the fuel of the engine to assist in strengthening our capacity to continuously diversify our productive sectors and become more globally competitive.”

He said that they are working on fulfilling the developmental goals laid out in their previous Strategic Plan.

“The University in its efforts to conform with its own Strategic Plan 2007 to 2012, during which the project has started, considers its role in this project as fulfilling two of the four core strategic focal areas, which are Research and Innovation and Service to the UWI-12 Countries and Other Underserved Communities.

“It envisions that the other two core strategic focal areas, which are Teaching and Learning and Graduate Studies, will be realised as the institution continues to push towards excellence in regional human resource capacity building. There is scope for continual professional training and postgraduate research and taught programmes in the health and wellness sector, which the University will continue to explore.”

UWI lending support

He added that the UWI was pleased to lend its expertise to this tourism project, which was funded by the Caribbean Aid for Trade and the Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund) of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and it will continue to lend its support to the development of the spa industry and the health and wellness sector in general throughout the Caribbean.

In this regard, they anticipate having further discussions with local and regional institutions in an effort to establish and fulfil its mandate, which would lead towards the regional development as stipulated in the strategic plan. (PJT)