In what can only be deemed the largest single donation to education, in the history of The Bahamas and the Caribbean region, The College of The Bahamas is pleased to announce that the Freedom Foundation has donated $10 million toward the creation of its Small Island Sustainability Programme (SIS), the first undergraduate programme of its kind in the world.
President of The College of The Bahamas, Janyne Hodder expressed gratitude for the donation and noted that the funds will go a long way to assisting the new university in meeting its objectives. "This gift will support a programme that is central to national development and imperative for our future. Small island sustainability will also be a flagship programme for the new University of The Bahamas where we will graduate students who will make a difference to this country and other parts of the world through eco-tourism, environmental management, agricultural development, and policy development to name only a few areas".
The donation was made possible from funds derived from the estate of the late philanthropist and shipbuilder, George T. R. Campbell. Campbell is the founder of the Dockendale Shipping Company located in The Bahamas. A pioneer in the Japanese shipbuilding industry, Campbell launched the well-known series construction vessel, The Freedom, Fortune, Friendship and Freedom Mk-2 which dominated the medium size dry cargo market sector over the past decade.
The donation will go to support the College in developing the SIS programme, a bachelor's degree programme geared to promoting sustainability through institutional practices through the development of academic programmes which focus on the theoretical and practical applications of sustainability. The SIS undergraduate programme will focus on four innovative areas: Two Bachelor of Science degrees; one in Environmental and Ecosystems Management; and one in Integrated Development Planning. The other two will be Bachelor of Arts degrees: one in Ecotourism and Development; and one in Policy Studies.
"I am privileged and pleased to co-announce our $10 million investment to help us become better at sustainable practices in this country. This investment is for the benefit of the nation," said Lowell Mortimer, Trustee of the Foundation.
Mortimer said it is his organization's belief that the donation will positively impact the country and future generations. "It is believed that this gift will be one in perpetuity which will pay increasing dividends to further the development of The Bahamas.
This is not The College's first gift from the Foundation. With an interest in supporting agricultural development in The Bahamas, The Freedom Foundation helped to create The College's Poultry Research Unit on Gladstone Road in the late 1990's. Through their previous giving to The College, the foundation has assisted some twenty-five students in the areas of agriculture and marine engineering in addition to courses in the shipbuilding industry.
The Freedom Foundation is registered in The Bahamas and seeks to promote agriculture and marine architecture and engineering. "It is a very proud day for us as well and we look forward to the launch of this programme that will carry George Campbell's name as a result of our partnering with the college in this very important Small Island Sustainability Project," expressed Mortimer.
