The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) have formalised a strategic partnership aimed at advancing digital development across the Caribbean, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, UWI Cave Hill Campus, on May 28, 2026. According to Antigua News Room, the agreement marks a significant step forward in the two institutions' longstanding collaboration.
The MoU establishes a structured framework for long-term cooperation spanning digital policy and regulation, research and evidence-based decision-making, capacity development, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, resource mobilisation, and the translation of regional digital strategies into concrete action. The agreement builds on a history of joint work, including recent collaboration on artificial intelligence policy and regional digital harmonisation efforts.
Ms. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Global Affairs at UWI, emphasised the significance of the partnership. "This Memorandum of Understanding reflects our shared recognition that the Caribbean's digital challenges — and opportunities — require coordinated regional leadership," she said. "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 Rodney Taylor underscored the partnership's broader implications. "This partnership brings together The UWI's academic excellence and the CTU's regional policy leadership to strengthen digital transformation across the Caribbean," he said. "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 comes at a pivotal moment for the region. Digital transformation is increasingly influencing economic growth, public service delivery, climate resilience, and regional competitiveness. By aligning UWI's academic expertise with CTU's regional policy mandate, the partnership seeks to ensure that digital progress delivers inclusive and sustainable benefits across the Caribbean.
As a university with campuses spanning the region, UWI is well-positioned to support CTU through research, training, policy guidance, and global engagement. The MoU signals a deliberate shift from ad hoc collaboration to a structured, forward-looking partnership — one designed to shape the evolving digital landscape rather than simply react to it.
The two institutions are moving swiftly to implementation. Initial priorities include the joint hosting of a Regional AI Forum in Trinidad on July 23 and 24, advancing regional digital governance and policy harmonisation during CTU ICT Week 2026 in French Guiana from September 20 to 24, operationalising The UWI Institute for Intelligent Systems, Governance and Human-Centred Technology (INSIGHT), and addressing regional capacity needs through The UWI–ITU Academy Training Centre, a collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union. These early actions reflect both institutions' commitment to delivering tangible outcomes rooted in shared regional priorities.
