Officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, The College of The Bahamas and the Caribbean Development Bank, as well as members of The College community attended the launch ceremony for The College of The Bahamas Transformation Project; -- The President of The College of The Bahamas Dr. Rodney D. Smith explains the impact of The College of The Bahamas Transformation Project which results from a $16.18 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank; -- Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Perry Christie speaks passionately about the transformative impact of education at the launch ceremony for The College of The Bahamas Transformation Project; and -- Division Chief, Social Sector Division, Caribbean Development Bank Deidre Clarendon explains the scope of the project;
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Nassau, BAHAMAS – Aimed at strengthening the institution in key areas that will undergird the future University of
The Bahamas, The College of The Bahamas Transformation Project was launched on Wednesday, March 4th during a special ceremony held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre.
The
project is the direct result of a USD$16.18 million loan that the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is extending
to the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The loan is to
fund specific capacity-building initiatives at The College as it
advances in its university transition.
The
Bahamas government has affirmed that The College of The Bahamas will
attain university status by the end of 2015.
It will be a significant feat for the higher education institution –
founded more than 40 years ago – which was always envisaged to evolve
into a university.
In
an impassioned address to stakeholders, project leaders, participants,
and members of the College community, Prime
Minister Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie implored the audience to consider
the aspirational and transformative benefits of the coming University of
The Bahamas on the lives of Bahamian citizens.
“This
is why I want a University of The Bahamas because I believe the
lecturers, the professors will be obliged to
understand their country, to write about their country, to analyse the
economy of their country, and to do it publically, to research the
country and therefore I believe that degree of accountability that the
country needs will come from the University of
The Bahamas. And that is why I feel good about the process that we are
involved in. I feel good that we are reaching that point where, here,
there will be this excitement,” Prime Minister Christie said.
The Prime Minister characterised the future University of The Bahamas as a defining step in the evolution of The Bahamas.
Division
Chief in Social Sector Division of the Caribbean Development Bank Ms.
Deidre Clarendon pointed to the Bank’s
steady support of The Bahamas’ national development priorities over the
years. She reiterated the critical nexus between human capital
formation and tertiary education institutions.
“The
fundamental point, particularly for small island developing states like
ours, is that economic competitiveness
and social cohesion are inextricably linked to your capacity to provide
an increasing proportion of your population with access to quality
higher education. Because of its role in growth and development higher
education has contributed significantly to poverty
reduction here in The Bahamas and the region,” Ms. Clarendon noted.
“For
decades access to higher education has enabled many of our people in
the lower economic strata to acquire the
knowledge and skills needed to take advantage of employment
opportunities, improve the quality of their lives and to transition out
of poverty,” she added.
The
USD$16.18 million loan from the CDB for The College of The Bahamas
Transformation Project will allow for enhancements
and an augmentation in The College’s capacity to deliver quality human
resource management, enterprise risk management and business finance
systems. It will also enable The College to institutionalise a Quality
Assurance System. It will also provide for an
upgraded security system, assist with the drafting of the University of
The Bahamas Bill and provide for consultancies in the construction of
University of The Bahamas infrastructure.
The College’s recently formed Office of Institutional Strengthening, headed by Dr. Danny Davis, is leading the project
implementation.
President of The College of The Bahamas Dr. Rodney D. Smith asserted that the financing will contribute to the transformation
of the institution so that it can better serve The Bahamas, the region and the world.
“We
will begin and complete a process of institutional strengthening and we
will work on civil works to help grow our
campus. Already we have been working diligently to complete the draft
University of The Bahamas Bill. When the bill is complete and enacted,
we will officially become The University of The Bahamas,” President
Smith explained.
Dr.
Smith added that The College of The Bahamas Transformation Project will
lead to an enhanced learning environment
with the completion of construction on the Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate
Centre, new residence halls and energy-efficient enhancements at the
Keva M. Bethel Building – the primary administrative block at the Oakes
Field Campus – and the Culinary and Hospitality
Management Institute.
“At the end of this project, the University of The Bahamas will have enhanced capacity to provide even better quality
tertiary education,” he said.
CDB officials hosted a three-day workshop this week to discuss the framework for the efficient execution of the transformation
project and the terms of the loan agreement.
Minister
of Education Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald said the project supports the
policy of the Government of the Commonwealth
of The Bahamas of upgrading skills and human development for
employability and productivity, leading to increased levels of economic
growth and social cohesion.