Landis inducted as new Pro Vice-Chancellor and UWI Principal

PROFESSOR R. CLIVE LANDIS will be looking to hold integration and innovation highest on his to-do list during his tenure as Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus (CHC). With close to 20 years of service in various posts at the regional education institution, Landis took another step up his personal ladder when he was inducted to his new position on Saturday evening.
During a ceremony which saw him receiving votes of confidence from his contemporaries at the other campuses under the UWI umbrella, Landis was described as the right person for the role at this time as he has the ability to bring people together. Along with wishes for a successful tenure, it was stated that Landis’ vision for the further integration of the Cave Hill Campus into the fabric of the economic and social sectors of Barbados was a noble one.
Singing his praises during her address, Minister of Education, Technical and Vocational Training Santia Bradshaw highlighted Professor Landis’ dedication to every task that he set for himself. “The ministry will launch a National Student Council at the beginning of next year and these young people will be provided with opportunities to contribute to policies at a national level. It is anticipated that Professor Landis will continue to exhibit a similar duty of care to the student body in the post of Principal. Even though Professor Landis has ascended to this esteemed position, he has pledged to continue to chair the COVID-19 Task Force until the pandemic is declared over by the World Health Organisation.This decision emphasisesthe professor’s continued desire to share his scientific knowledge
and skills to benefit humanity,” she said. In his inaugural address as Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal, Landis stated that he was blown away when he first relocated to Barbados from outside of the region.

“What struck me immediately is that I had never before encountered a university with such a clear mission – this single-minded, passionate, fierce commitment to serve the people and countries of the Caribbean. When we conduct staff surveys at Cave Hill, the highest scores are always recorded on the question: What is the purpose of our university? On this there is never a doubt – everyone in our institution knows and supports UWI’s core mission to drive the development in the Caribbean region. In my vision for the Cave Hill Campus, I intend to tap into this burning fire to serve the region and to open new avenues through which staff and students can find meaning and fulfillment through service in the community.”
Going on to speak about his hopes for the region in education, Professor Landis credited the pandemic with lighting a new path to realising our strengths.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us how the diversity of experience that resides at each campus has helped stiffen the resilience of the UWI body as a whole, enabling the academy to maintain continuous service to its students while offering a regional research platform to support policymakers for evidence-based decision making during this health emergency. A next logical step is to harness efficiency gains inherent for a regional university through cross-campus teaching to reduce the cost of programme delivery, while enhancing the rich Caribbean experience for students.” he said. (MP)