he
UWI Open Campus, Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The
University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus and Association
of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) to facilitate cooperation in education. This
ceremonial signing of the agreement took place on January 29, 2019 at
the Open Learning Resource Centre on the Mona Campus.

This
is a “long overdue relationship”, said Pro Vice-Chancellor and
Principal of The UWI Open Campus, Dr Luz Longsworth, “which will
create an active partnership and, being involved at all levels where
we can have mutual benefit and together extend our footprint across
the Caribbean, is one of our strategic advantages.” Dr Longsworth
affirmed that, “our mantra of opening doors to life-changing
learning is at the heart of why we enter into these partnerships and
we are
excited about the possibilities that this MOU will open to
collaborate with the ACCA, the premier organization for certification
in accounting.”

With
this collaboration, ACCA will undertake to work together with The UWI
Open Campus to explore and implement mutually rewarding initiatives
aimed at benefitting the students of both bodies, with particular
focus on establishing much-needed tuition and exam centre resources
across select Caribbean islands where these are deficient. While The
UWI Open Campus will explore potential exemptions from the ACCA
qualifications for the benefit of its students and consider tuition
and computer-based centre options as part of ACCA’s exemption and
accreditation programmes and approved learning provider and CBE
centre resources.

Mrs
Shelly-Ann Mohammed, Head, ACCA Caribbean who signed the MOU on
behalf of ACCA said, “This two-way partnership between ACCA and The
UWI Open Campus will provide much needed support to ACCA students in
many regions who do not have ready face-to-face tuition and
computer-based exam centre options, as well as introduce an
opportunity for prospective students who had not before considered
pursuing a professional designation.”  She noted in her
remarks that ACCA as a global brand, with 110 national offices
operating in 179 countries worldwide, is grateful for the role that
The UWI Open Campus can play to the Caribbean region where UWI Open
Campus graduates can be provided local access to training
from ACCA, networking opportunities with ACCA members and exposure to
the accounting profession in a whole new way. She added that she was
very excited about the partnership and the fulfilment of the vision
that has been several years in the making.  

In
emphasizing the importance of this collaboration, Ms Maria Sookdeo,
Manager – Partner Relations and Communications, ACCA who has been
instrumental in taking forward the discussions with The UWI Open
Campus said, “we are excited that both organisations have reached
this juncture as engagements towards this partnership were initiated
over several years.” She added, “It is ideal that we are
partnering at this point and opening the doors towards a fruitful
partnership as we look forward to implementing the objectives
outlined in the MOU.”

In
giving closing remarks, Ms Anneshia Welsh, Head, Business Development
Unit, The UWI Open Campus, describes the MOU signing as a landmark
arrangement for the campus, which will enable students at the Open
Campus to graduate with an internationally recognised professional
certification alongside their academic degree.

“We
envisage that this partnership between The UWI Open Campus and ACCA
will foster and grow from strength to strength as we provide access
to programmes and learning opportunities,” she concluded.

Senior
members of staff from both institutions were in attendance to witness
the signing.

-End-

Photo Caption: Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus, Dr Luz Longsworth (right) and Head of ACCA Caribbean Mrs Shelly-Ann Mohammed signing the MOU. Looking on are Manager – Partner Relations and Communications, ACCA, Ms Maria Sookdeo (left) and Head, Business Development Unit, The UWI Open Campus, Ms Anneshia Welsh.

About
ACCA

ACCA
(the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global
body for professional accountants, offering business-relevant,
first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and
ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy,
finance and management.

ACCA
supports its 208,000 members and 503,000 students in 179 countries,
helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and
business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a
network of 104 offices and centres and more than 7,300 Approved
Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning
and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes
appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research
to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Throughout our history, ACCA has formed global partnerships, which are central to our ability to deliver our qualifications and services internationally. Our global network has afforded students the ability to study for the ACCA Qualification all over the world. We have 17 joint exam partnerships with national accountancy bodies around the world that allows their trainees to qualify using the ACCA Qualification structure. We also have more than 80 global partnerships with accountancy bodies, universities and international donor communities. Visit our website: https://www.accaglobal.com

About
The UWI

For
over 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has
provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider
world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in
Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally
respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and five
campuses: Mona
in Jamaica, St.
Augustine
in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave
Hill
in Barbados, Five
Islands
in Antigua and Barbuda and an Open Campus. As part of its robust
globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with
universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa
including the State
University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and
Sustainable Development;
the Canada-Caribbean Studies Institute with Brock University; the
Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de
los Andes (UNIANDES); the UWI-China Institute of Information
Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African
and Diaspora Studies and the
Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of
Johannesburg (UJ).
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and
postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering,
Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science &
Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. 

As
the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost
objective is driving the growth and development of the regional
economy. The world’s most reputable ranking agency, Times
Higher Education,
has ranked The UWI among the top 600 universities in the world for
2019, and the 40 best universities in Latin America and the Caribbean
for 2018 and 2019.The UWI has been the only Caribbean-based
university to make the prestigious lists. For more, visit
www.uwi.edu.

(Please
note that the proper name of the university is The University of the
West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)