So when UWI debe campus opening?

[one eye]

Of course they are exaggerating the issue. They are famous for doing this.

UWI released that most critical works are completed and the important areas are ready for students.

UWI plans to continually upgrade and complete works during semesters when money is flowing in the campus.

The opposition were not the ones pushing to have the campus operational this year.

UWI is pushing to open the campus in August.

If UWI says it ready, it ready.

[RBphoto]

There is the fact that the campus is literally quite isolated from a walking perspective. it is between 500m to 2km form any type of affordable housing. To walk you have to walk along the M2 which is a terrible idea. One would hope that caroni lands (abandoned cane field) that surrounds the campus is opened up to developers and private citizens to open services and affordable student housing. Sidewalks with guard rails are needed to protect students walking along the M2 on both sides and a walkover is needed at the junction by the light.

That said, for someone with a car, it is quite easy to get to with the highway access no more than about 3 or 4Km. Something has to be done about congestion in Debe as that would throttle highway access from the 2 roundabouts by the market. Golconda highway access is always a toss up. Unless there is more access gates built and a longer filtering lane traffic is going to be a huge issue just like UWI south gate.

This campus has the potential to revolutionize Debe, but if government friends get access to the Caroni land and not private business, I can see this being a disaster that does not benefit poor students as intended... only students that could afford a car.

[The_Honourable]

UWI Provides Clarification on The UWI St. Augustine South Campus at Penal-Debe Operations

St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. May 21, 2025 – In response to recent media questions and ongoing public interest regarding the reopening of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) South Campus in Penal-Debe, the university wishes to provide the following statement to clarify the matter.

The South Campus, a facility constructed with substantial Government investment, was completed for use in 2019, save for one building structure and it was made available to the State as a step-down medical facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, in service to the national interest. Following its return in May 2022 to The UWI, the Campus was found to be in a state requiring urgent restoration following an assessment conducted between May 2022 and July of that year. Since that time, The UWI has submitted requests for government funding to support rehabilitation and repairs to the facility and the matter was under consideration by the previous government. Budget request/proposals submitted to the relevant authorities included detailed assessments and cost estimates for urgent upgrades. Despite its limited financial resources, The UWI prioritised and proceeded with critical repair works and security enhancements to prepare the facility in anticipation of its phased reopening.

Strategic Direction and Use of the South Campus

It was originally intended that the new Faculty of Law would be the flagship faculty of the South Campus. However, in 2017 staff and students from the Faculty of Law protested the move to Debe. In 2018 a decision was made by the then UWI administration not to relocate the Faculty of Law to the South Campus. Instead, the Campus decided that a newly established self-financing and sustainable Global School of Medicine (GSM) would be the flagship of the Campus.

The decision to establish the Global School of Medicine at this location and to designate it as a medical education hub was a strategic move, years in the making, following multiple rounds of internal planning and consultation. This decision was formally approved by the University Council—the highest governing body of the regional UWI system, charged with financial and operational oversight, in 2021 and designated a core strategic objective of the Campus. Since then, The UWI has made several pronouncements about this GSM, the most recent being pronouncements by the Vice Chancellor at the University Council meeting in May 2025.

Aligned with The UWI’s Triple 'A' Strategy (Access, Alignment, Agility), the Global School of Medicine will serve primarily international students and will allow the University to meet the growing demand for medical education. Notably, this will redound to the country’s economic and social benefit through increased access to education, medical services, international visibility and foreign exchange earnings.

The South Campus is also intended to support delivery of selected programmes across multiple faculties, including the Faculties of Science and Technology, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education and the Faculty of Medical Sciences which will be delivered in blended formats. The aims would be to increase access to persons from the South and Central who would not ordinarily be in a position to attend the St. Augustine Campus. Notwithstanding the past protests regarding the relocation of the Faculty of Law, the university administration is open to having discussions with the government on its inclusion in the planned programmes being offered.

The UWI ROYTEC will also be housed at the South Campus.

State of the Facility and Restoration Efforts

The South Campus, having remained largely underutilised for several years, has experienced some natural deterioration in certain areas. Key restoration to the main buildings – the Academic Building (3-story main teaching and learning facility), Students’ Union, Auditorium/Moot Court, Health Facility, Cafeteria and, Gymnasium have already been made to a high standard and they are ready for occupation. Furniture and computer equipment are already fitted in the academic spaces and Students’ Union. Further ongoing restorative works are planned for the Faculty Building, which will not be immediately needed. A phased restoration is planned and will be implemented as funding becomes available, therefore repair to non-academic spaces such as the tennis & multi-purpose courts, cricket pavilion, and swimming pool will come after the initial reopening phase. While key areas have been landscaped, an ongoing landscape contract is at the tender stage.

Importantly, these challenges are not unique to the South Campus. The UWI St. Augustine Campus itself is also managing the realities of an aging infrastructure, with several longstanding facilities now requiring further investment. The University must balance its commitment to academic excellence with the fiscal limitations of maintaining and modernising its physical assets ensuring all critical spaces are safe, functional, and in line with international standards for education.

Financial Support and Readiness

The University has included requests for funding to support rehabilitation of the campus in its official submissions to the Government. While The UWI is doing everything within its means to optimise resources and enhance its financial resilience such as reducing costs (to the tune of TT$300 million over the past several years) and entrepreneurship ventures, government support remains critical to fully operationalise the facility as a hub for high-quality, international-standard education.

Stakeholder Engagement

The University welcomes ongoing dialogue with all key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, and welcomes the opportunity to provide updates as restoration efforts advance in phases.

The recent site visit to the South Campus was a preliminary private meeting and not intended as a public or media tour. A media walkthrough is being planned for a later date.

The UWI is committed to maximising the value of its physical assets, responding to emerging national and regional needs, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the institution — while remaining transparent and accountable to the public it serves.

END

https://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release.asp?id=22997

Pictures:

1- Academic Building Lecture Room
2 - Student Union Gym
3 - Student Union Guild
4 - Academic Building Academic Staff Room
5 - Academic Building Computer Lab
6 - Moot Court

More Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 4464283597

[The_Honourable]

UPDATE: MOONILAL RESPONDS WITH PHOTOS – UWI SOUTH CAMPUS STORY STILL UNFOLDING

By Pearce Robinson

Following my earlier post on the Penal-Debe UWI South Campus, Dr. Roodal Moonilal reached out to me directly and provided additional photos and clarity. See UWI previous post of photos taken yesterday:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16VPaD ... tid=wwXIfr

He confirmed that while some sections of the campus approximately 25% have indeed been developed and are in use (currently by ROYTEC at $46,000/month), a majority of the campus, 75% remains in a state of disrepair and needs urgent refurbishment.

Dr. Moonilal shared photos (see below) taken this past Monday, showing areas (mostly outside) that are clearly dilapidated, water-stained, and unfit for academic use. He also noted that during a visit, officials refused to open the library, citing safety concerns due to the building’s condition.

He was clear in telling me:

“I am not denying UWI photos—those are accurate for the few areas being used by ROYTEC… But the rest of the facility is in urgent need of repair.”

I appreciate his transparency and willingness to provide evidence. Both things can be true:

1. UWI has fitted out some areas for academic use.
2. A large portion of the campus remains unfinished or unfit for occupation.

This is not about scoring cheap political points, it’s about truth and accountability. Thank you Dr. Moonilal for reaching out to me. This state of disrepair with the remainder of the building is deeply unacceptable!!

Let’s move away from spin and deal with the facts.

[K74T]

Lol this come like a repeat of the PM's residence fiasco.

[The_Honourable]

Kamla to UWI over Debe Campus: "Do not test me" — threatens to take over campus, tells UWI administrators to "step aside."

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a strong warning to the administrators of the University of the West Indies (UWI), accusing them of blocking the development of the Debe campus for over a decade.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025, Persad-Bissessar called on UWI’s leadership to "step aside" and allow the Government to complete the campus, which she claimed had been abandoned due to “spite, malice, and ill-will.”

“This campus has become a horror story,” she said. “It is the biggest betrayal" inflicted by UWI.

The Prime Minister dismissed reports in the media from UWI that the facility will be opened by August as a Global Medical School and insisted that UWI has no authority over the project’s direction.

“It is our decision to make,” Persad-Bissessar declared. “UWI will have no say. It will house what the Government says it will house. They cannot dictate to us what they want to put there.”

In a direct message to the UWI administration, she warned:

“Do not test me! If I have to, I will take that campus back and place it under full Government control to ensure it is completed.”

Earlier this week, Government released images showing what it described as the dilapidated and underused condition of the Debe campus. However, UWI pushed back with its own photos, painting a more functional picture of the facility.

But Government officials responded by clarifying that the images circulated by UWI depicted areas being used by Roytec, which currently rents space at the campus for over $40,000 per month—sections that are not representative of the unused or unfinished areas meant for UWI’s expansion.— Story by Ian Alleyne Network

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=706297671771193

[xtech]

Open it quick any trinidadians at Harvard who Trump say has to transfer out could possibly come home and go there. Maybe even ask Harvard to take it over as a work around for Trump ban on international students

[one eye]

“Do not test me! If I have to, I will take that campus back and place it under full Government control to ensure it is completed.”

Oh wow and they labelled him a "dictator".

On July 31 2015, just five weeks before the 2015 General Election, there was a handing over ceremony of the Deed of Ownership, in addition to the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by the then Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the University’s Chancellor Sir George Alleyne.

https://icdn.today/trinidad-penal-debe- ... ns-unused/

[hover11]

Still taking Kamla over the man who used to buff up the citizens during every press conference

“Do not test me! If I have to, I will take that campus back and place it under full Government control to ensure it is completed.”

Oh wow and they labelled him a "dictator".

On July 31 2015, just five weeks before the 2015 General Election, there was a handing over ceremony of the Deed of Ownership, in addition to the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by the then Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the University’s Chancellor Sir George Alleyne.

https://icdn.today/trinidad-penal-debe- ... ns-unused/

[mero]

So what happens if she takes it back and puts it under full govt control like she is threatening to?

Fascism. Is that you playa?

[teems1]

So what happens if she takes it back and puts it under full govt control like she is threatening to?

Fascism. Is that you playa?

It's government's money being used to build it.

Fascism is if she were taking it from private individuals.

[hover11]

So what happens if she takes it back and puts it under full govt control like she is threatening to?

Fascism. Is that you playa?

It's government's money being used to build it.

Fascism is if she were taking it from private individuals.

Shhh men using big words that they don't know the meaning of leave them in their ignorance

[alfa]

Threatening to open a university is a bad thing now. Ok

[The_Honourable]

“Do not test me! If I have to, I will take that campus back and place it under full Government control to ensure it is completed.”

Oh wow and they labelled him a "dictator".

On July 31 2015, just five weeks before the 2015 General Election, there was a handing over ceremony of the Deed of Ownership, in addition to the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by the then Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the University’s Chancellor Sir George Alleyne.

https://icdn.today/trinidad-penal-debe- ... ns-unused/

You're assuming the deed of ownership is freehold, more than likely it's leasehold as it is state land.

There are two types of ownership deeds, freehold (an interest in the property with no stated end) and leasehold (an interest with a stated end known as a "term of years"). When state land is legally occupied, it is usually via leases ranging from 30 to 99 years (maybe less, maybe more).

Leasehold have a lot of covenants where Kamla can act on if she perceives there were breaches. It's up to UWI to defend themselves in court if they perceive the lessor (the government) acted unjustly.

[one eye]

Yes Honourable, it is state land.

It will be a long fought battle, resulting in it not being opened at all.

UWI and their stakeholders will not let it go, after they spent their own money and resources to conduct works.

It is not going to end well for this Debe campus if they don't come to some common understanding.

[death365]

move out uwi... retrofit...


puh Ministries/NGOS

[teems1]

Yes Honourable, it is state land.

It will be a long fought battle, resulting in it not being opened at all.

UWI and their stakeholders will not let it go, after they spent their own money and resources to conduct works.

It is not going to end well for this Debe campus if they don't come to some common understanding.

https://newsday.co.tt/2022/06/03/govern ... wi-funding

She added that the increased fees would have raised the contribution by students from 13 to 20 per cent of the costs, while the Government currently contributes 82 per cent of the campus's annual budget.

Stakeholders? The government foots 82% of the annual budget.

[Gladiator]

Of course they are exaggerating the issue. They are famous for doing this.

UWI released that most critical works are completed and the important areas are ready for students.

UWI plans to continually upgrade and complete works during semesters when money is flowing in the campus.

The opposition were not the ones pushing to have the campus operational this year.

UWI is pushing to open the campus in August.

If UWI says it ready, it ready.

When you know little to nothing you should just keep your a$$ shut

[Gladiator]

Yes Honourable, it is state land.

It will be a long fought battle, resulting in it not being opened at all.

UWI and their stakeholders will not let it go, after they spent their own money and resources to conduct works.

It is not going to end well for this Debe campus if they don't come to some common understanding.

Dummy please just shut up... you spewing so much feces its a shame

[paid_influencer]

Knowledge on its own is worthless, you need human labour and capital to realize the value that knowledge might have.

[one eye]

You are not wrong teems.

However, UWI were delegating some of that 82% towards the Debe campus.

Of course UWI couldn't do it without help from other companies/organizations and most likely have some agreement regarding finances.

UWI Provides Clarification on The UWI St. Augustine South Campus at Penal-Debe Operations

"Following its return in May 2022 to The UWI, the Campus was found to be in a state requiring urgent restoration following an assessment conducted between May 2022 and July of that year. Since that time, The UWI has submitted requests for government funding to support rehabilitation and repairs to the facility and the matter was under consideration by the previous government. Budget request/proposals submitted to the relevant authorities included detailed assessments and cost estimates for urgent upgrades. Despite its limited financial resources, The UWI prioritized and proceeded with critical repair works and security enhancements to prepare the facility in anticipation of its phased reopening."

https://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release.asp?id=22997

[Gladiator]

You are not wrong teems.

However, UWI were delegating some of that 82% towards the Debe campus.

Of course UWI couldn't do it without help from other companies/organizations and most likely have some agreement regarding finances.

UWI Provides Clarification on The UWI St. Augustine South Campus at Penal-Debe Operations

"Following its return in May 2022 to The UWI, the Campus was found to be in a state requiring urgent restoration following an assessment conducted between May 2022 and July of that year. Since that time, The UWI has submitted requests for government funding to support rehabilitation and repairs to the facility and the matter was under consideration by the previous government. Budget request/proposals submitted to the relevant authorities included detailed assessments and cost estimates for urgent upgrades. Despite its limited financial resources, The UWI prioritized and proceeded with critical repair works and security enhancements to prepare the facility in anticipation of its phased reopening."

https://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release.asp?id=22997

The fact is that the PNM crippled and sabotaged any opening attempt of the Debe campus by not providing funding to the institution.

[one eye]

Fact? Everything must be done in accordance.

UWI: Debe campus ready for occupation in August

"The Debe campus was originally intended to house the new Faculty of Law which was to be the flagship faculty at the campus."

"However, in 2017, staff and students from the Faculty of Law protested the move to Debe. In 2018, a decision was made by the then UWI administration not to relocate the Faculty of Law to the Debe campus. Instead, UWI decided that a newly established self-financing and sustainable Global School of Medicine (GSM) would be the flagship of the campus."

https://newsday.co.tt/2025/05/22/uwi-de ... in-august/

Rowley against UWI Campus in Debe

"Rowley, speaking during a news conference at his Charles Street office yesterday, said UWI was a regional institution and consultation was necessary before any such development could take place. Rowley said the Government was expected to meet with UWI officials next month to discuss the proposal but a sod- turning date already had been made public. Questioned about the reasons for seeking to expand the institution in Debe, Rowley said it was an election promise but he said that area was not the most appropriate for citizens of T&T."

"He said St Augustine was the most central location, even for the people of Tobago and other parts of the country. He said Government was attempting to establish a campus in Debe "because of the demography of the student population without discussion or agreement with the other parties in the University of the West Indies."

https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2. ... 11f28040d8

Former UWI principal: Medicine, law could co-exist at Debe campus

“Not to say local people couldn’t get it but the key thing was that it was full fee-paying, no strain on the government unless they want to subsidise and pay. It would have been an international clientele paying in US dollars and we had people who were willing to take it up.”

He said, “In terms of income-earning, the university has been in dire straits for a long time. The figures that we got showed that that campus had the potential to bring in foreign exchange that was equivalent to something like a quarter of the annual budget per year and I still think it is a very viable option.”

“The Debe campus is basically an extension of the St Augustine campus but there was a focal point on law and then we decided to move it to global medicine. We did worldwide surveys before we came to that conclusion. It was a full business proposal and many people were involved in looking at it.”

“It was financial. It was not profit-making per se. It was making sure that the UWI stayed afloat. That was the whole idea. It would not have stayed afloat with a faculty of law. But it does not mean that a faculty of law can’t go down there. There was never an intent to leave out anybody.”

https://newsday.co.tt/2025/05/25/former ... be-campus/

[screwbash]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

[The_Honourable]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

We have plenty doctors graduating every year... most can't get work with some migrating.

[hover11]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

We have plenty doctors graduating every year... most can't get work with some migrating.

I would say basically every field is oversaturated atm

[screwbash]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

We have plenty doctors graduating every year... most can't get work with some migrating.

if this is true they why do we import doctors and nurses from Cuba, India, africa etc.

[VexXx Dogg]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

We have plenty doctors graduating every year... most can't get work with some migrating.

I would say basically every field is oversaturated atm

Don’t know how true this is, I wonder if there’s national data to support/reject it?

[hover11]

We do not need anymore lawyers in TT we need more doctors an medical specialist.

We have plenty doctors graduating every year... most can't get work with some migrating.

I would say basically every field is oversaturated atm

Don’t know how true this is, I wonder if there’s national data to support/reject it?

Vex just take a look at how many new lawyers, doctors, engineers, business, IT graduates there are a year vs available jobs. In fact take a look at the job market it will speak for itself

[j.o.e]

Can’t talk for every field but yuh see lawyers. Oh guuuuuuud dem fellas piping. Too many lawyers and not like our legal system functions anyway so what’s the use ?