- Latin America and Caribbean’s leading development bank and one of its top universities to pursue joint research, initiatives, and exchange to help drive economic and social recovery and growth in region.
- Innovation; digital transformation and inclusion; climate action and resilience are priority areas for expanded collaboration.
- New phase of cooperation aims to establish UWI as a key academic partner for IDB in the Caribbean, including through #BIDAcademy.
Kingston, Jamaica – President Mauricio Claver-Carone of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of The West Indies (The UWI), today signed an agreement to formalize a new phase of cooperation and deepen collaboration between the institutions.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which includes the IDB’s private-sector entity, IDB Invest, envisions joint research, initiatives, and exchange of knowledge to help drive economic and social recovery and growth in region. It identifies innovation; digital transformation and inclusion; and climate action and resilience as priority areas for expanded collaboration.
The agreement will foster further cooperation under the umbrella of #BIDAcademy, the IDB’s centralized knowledge hub for providing the public with access to development-related knowledge and learning resources. The agreement will also align the partnership with Vision 2025, the IDB’s agenda for driving recovery and seizing opportunities revealed by the pandemic to spur sustainable, inclusive economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This new phase of cooperation builds on a robust partnership between the Bank and The UWI, which has enabled knowledge exchange, regional policy dialogue and collaboration in water and sanitation, gender, and science, technology, and innovation, among other areas.
Deepening partnerships and expanding engagement within the Caribbean has been a top priority for the IDB under President Claver-Carone. Today’s signing, which took place at The UWI’s Regional Headquarters in Kingston, occurred during the president’s first official mission to the Caribbean since his election in October 2020.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private-sector clients throughout the region.
About IDB Invest
IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, is a multilateral development bank committed to promoting the economic development of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through the private sector. IDB Invest finances sustainable companies and projects to achieve financial results and maximize economic, social, and environmental development in the region. With a portfolio of $13.1 billion in asset management and 385 clients in 25 countries, IDB Invest provides innovative financial solutions and advisory services that meet the needs of its clients in a variety of industries.
About The UWI
The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier, higher education institution. One of only two regional universities in the world, it comprises five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The UWI stands among the top 1.5% of universities globally, following the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. It is also the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. Read more at www.uwi.edu.
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