Marking more than just the official welcome of first-year students, the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, hosted its annual Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony on Thursday, signalling the beginning of a transformative journey into higher education.
The University hosted its 2025 Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony, themed Pelicans: Get Ready To Soar – a nod to the institution’s emblem, as well as an inspiration for new students.
UWI’s Campus Registrar, Dr. Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill, gave more insight into its significance.
“That is why our theme this year, Pelicans: Get Ready To Soar, is so pertinent. It is a call to action, an affirmation, and a reminder. You see, most of you may already know that the brown pelican sits at the top of our crest and is closely associated with UWI, but what you may not realise is that the pelican does not just float above the sea. It dives with precision, resurfaces with resilience, and flies with purpose.”
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, noted the importance of advocacy and activism in one’s academic career.
“As the newest members of the UWI, you are part of a legacy of decades of work in developing the country and in the region. And as we at St Augustine celebrate our 65 years of critical research and teaching towards solving local, regional, and even international problems, that’s even more important.”
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, said that while the University has seen significant enrolment over the years, there still remains an academic gap in the number of applicants registering in various colleges and universities across the Caribbean.
“Unfortunately for us, there is a shortage of university graduates in our region. We are a university of some 50,000 students, but indeed it is not enough. Our Caribbean world is noted for its underperformance in terms of generating young people who are duly matriculated into our universities and our colleges; we need to do more. So you, my friends, are a minority within a minority.”
The formal introduction of the new Pelicans into the academic community marked a new beginning in their journey of scholarship, service, and personal growth – not only locally but for the region at large.