Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed that businessman David Harrison has agreed to give "serious consideration" to becoming the next chairman of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Council. According to Antigua News Room, former finance minister Dr. Errol Cort is being considered as a possible alternative should Harrison decline the role.
Browne made the disclosure during his weekly radio programme on Saturday, saying he had recently approached Harrison as the government and university officials search for a successor to the late Sir Aziz Hadeed, who died earlier this month.
"In fact, he just said to me he will consider serving as our chairman of the UWI Five Islands," Browne said.
The prime minister confirmed that no final decision has been made but named Cort as a secondary candidate for the leadership position. "If he doesn't take it, I'm likely to call upon Dr. Errol Cort, possibly to serve as the chairman. I don't know if he's available, but I'll have to touch base with him," Browne said.
Harrison has not yet committed to accepting the role but has signalled a willingness to engage further. "So David Harrison says that he will give serious consideration to it," the prime minister added.
The comments represent the first public indication of who may succeed Sir Aziz, who served as chairman of the campus council and was widely credited with helping guide the institution through a period of rapid growth. Hadeed, a prominent businessman, philanthropist and educator, was appointed inaugural chairman of the UWI Five Islands Campus Council in 2019 and was reappointed in 2024. During his tenure, student enrolment increased significantly and the campus expanded its academic offerings while securing funding for major infrastructure projects.
The UWI Five Islands Campus has become one of the government's flagship education initiatives since opening in 2019. Enrolment has grown from fewer than 350 students in its early years to nearly 2,000 students today, according to figures recently cited by the government.
Browne made the disclosure while discussing a new sports and recreational facility being developed near the Sir Novelle Richards Academy — a project he said has received substantial support from Harrison. "This would have been the second large project they would have done for us," Browne said, noting that Harrison previously contributed millions of dollars toward the Harrison Centre and has also donated funds toward the new sporting facility.
The prime minister praised Harrison's contributions to national development and acknowledged those who helped cultivate the relationship. "I want to thank Sir David. I also want to thank Karen-Mae Hill. She's the one who has anchored that relationship and was instrumental in getting him to fund this facility," Browne said.
No timeline has been announced for the appointment of a new chairman. The successful candidate will assume responsibility for guiding the Five Islands Campus through its next phase of expansion, including a major development programme that the government has said could involve hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment.
