The
UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica, Friday, September 18, 2020 —
One of the largest
philanthropic organizations in the world, Open Society Foundations
(OSF), has demonstrated its alignment with the strategic vision of
The University of the West Indies (The UWI). This was symbolized by
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two entities —
signed by Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles
and President of the OSF, Ambassador Patrick Gaspard on Thursday,
September 17, 2020.

This
collaboration agreement between both institutions is the culmination
of several months of discussions in support of Open Society’s
dedicated strategy for engaging the Caribbean, led by their Latin
America Program team and the University Office of Global Partnerships
and Sustainable Futures. It comes at a time when the vulnerability of
the Caribbean region is heightened, as it confronts a crisis of
unprecedented proportions, resulting from the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic and ongoing effects of climate change.

The
Open Society Foundations was founded by one of the world’s foremost
philanthropists, George Soros, who has donated over US$32 billion to
help build open societies across the globe by promoting justice,
democratic governance and human rights.

President
Gaspard underscored the Open Society Foundations’ commitment to
investing in higher education, a key pillar of an open society.

“This
MOU further cements a long-term and deep relationship and reaffirms
our commitment to address issues important to The UWI, OSF and the
Caribbean. Together, we will work to fight climate change, racial
injustice, and attacks on democracy,” Gaspard said.

Over
the past six years, The UWI has worked with Open Society and received
grant funding that supported ground-breaking child development
research, successful strategic litigation for decriminalizing
same-sex relationships, and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leadership
on cannabis decriminalization at regional and international levels.
More recently, the Open Society Foundations approved a grant to The
UWI to support the University’s wide-ranging climate change
research and focus on climate justice as well as the consolidation of
climate initiatives through its Global Institute for Climate-Smart
and Resilient Development.

This
comes on the heels of his keynote address to Heads of Government and
Ministers at a regional meeting of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) last week. At
that meeting, Vice-Chancellor Beckles emphasized the significance of
The UWI’s global collaborations which help to keep the Caribbean as
well as the University’s research on issues affecting the region,
at the centre of discourses on development.

“Our
interconnectedness as a global community emphasizes the need for
transnational responses to address the unique multidimensional
development challenges faced by Caribbean societies. We cannot do it
alone. Open Society Foundation is demonstrating its exceptional
leadership and deep concern for the Caribbean and we warmly welcome
this,” explained Vice-Chancellor Beckles. “Our efforts to build
a world-class regional university cannot be allowed to dissipate at
this critical time. We continue to strengthen our network of
partners and through our collaborations, provide opportunities for
young people and support to our regional governments as they
undertake the economic and social transformation needed to build more
just, inclusive and sustainable societies,” Vice-Chancellor Beckles
added.

The
joint activities between Open Society Foundations and The UWI are
expected to include academic and educational content; research and
innovation initiatives as well as training workshops, conferences,
symposia, etc. Institutional and/or capacity building initiatives are
also anticipated and importantly, education and outreach to promote
human rights and democracy in the Caribbean region. Participation in
the Open Society University Network (OSUN) is also being explored.

End.

Notes
to the Editor

Photo
Caption:
Vice-Chancellor
of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles extends a friendly virtual
handshake to President of Open Society Foundations, Ambassador
Patrick Gaspard on Thursday, September 17, 2020 during the signing of
an (MOU) between the two entities.

Video
recordings
of Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and
President of Open Society Foundations, Ambassador Patrick Gaspard
from the virtual MOU signing event are accessible here:
https://we.tl/t-nOeAxXnEBb

About
The Open Society Foundations

The
Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s
largest private funder of independent groups working for justice,
democratic governance, and human rights. It provides thousands of
grants every year through a network of national and regional
foundations and offices, funding a vast array of projects—many of
them now shaped by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more,
visit www.opensocietyfoundations.org