This is a “long overdue relationship”, said pro vice-chancellor and principal of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Dr Luz Longsworth at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), “which will create an active partnership… involved at all levels where we can have mutual benefit and together extend our footprint across the Caribbean”.

With this collaboration, ACCA will undertake to work together with The UWI Open Campus to explore and implement mutually rewarding initiatives aimed at benefiting the students of both bodies, with particular focus on establishing much-needed tuition and exam centre resources across select Caribbean islands where these are deficient.

The UWI Open Campus will explore potential exemptions from the ACCA qualifications for the benefit of its students and consider tuition and computer-based centre options as part of ACCA’s exemption and accreditation programmes and approved learning provider resources.

Shelly-Ann Mohammed, head, ACCA Caribbean, who signed the MOU on behalf of ACCA said, “This two-way partnership between ACCA and The UWI Open Campus will provide much-needed support to ACCA students in many regions who do not have ready face-to-face tuition and computer-based exam centre options, as well as introduce an opportunity for prospective students who had not before considered pursuing a professional designation.”

She noted in her remarks that ACCA, as a global brand, with 110 national offices operating in 179 countries worldwide, is grateful for the role that The UWI Open Campus can play to the Caribbean region where UWI Open Campus graduates can be provided local access to training from ACCA, networking opportunities with ACCA members and exposure to the accounting profession in a whole new way. She added that she was very excited about the partnership and the fulfilment of the vision that has been several years in the making.