The University of the West Indies (The UWI) will today host an inter-faith service at The UWI Chapel on the Mona campus to kick-start the celebration of its 70th anniversary.

The service begins at 9:15 am.

In a ststement to the press, the university said it is celebrating its evolution from a university college in Jamaica in 1948 with 33 medical students to an internationally respected regional university with near 50,000 students.

“With four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus with sites throughout the region, the university has demonstrated its relevance and quality as a site of excellence in the Caribbean. It has won the respect of universities globally, enabling the establishment of partnering centres in North America, Asia, and Africa. Its alumni are found in all areas of public life and have brought the university tremendous honour through their regional and global achievements and contributions,” the statement said.

The anniversary milestone, it said, is an occasion for reflection as well as a projection for the future with an emphasis on social justice and the economic transformation of the region.

The university said it’s also time to celebrate students, faculty, administrators, alumni, governments, and partners in the public and private sector.

“For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region. Since its inception in 1948, The UWI has been a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of our people,” said the university.