Just under 800 students graduated from University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) on Sunday, filling founder Dr Winston Adams with pride as he congratulated them on achieving their academic goals and wished them equal success in their professional pursuits.

Adams also used the occasion to give a scorecard of the university’s accomplishments, saying that the institution has much celebrate as it experienced growth, consolidation, and global expansion in the past year.

“We have much to be thankful for. While many educational and other institutions are still in recovery mode post-COVID-19, I am happy to report that the UCC and Spectrum groups have, in many areas, achieved above and beyond projections,” he said.

“Our institution is well on its path to full globalisation following in the footsteps of the growing list of international companies providing education services in their home countries and abroad,” he said.

“Our university, which is one of only five institutionally accredited higher educational institutions in Jamaica, has broken new frontiers and boundaries, setting a pace in educational entrepreneurship with higher education partnerships that span exclusive regional agreements that allow students across approximately 22 regional countries, including Jamaica, to pursue either stand alone bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes or dual degrees with highly reputable and institutionally accredited universities,” Adams told the graduation ceremony at the National Arena in St Andrew.

“We have customised corporate education programmes across physical campuses, online and via UCC Global, which enjoys formal relationships with many strategic partners, establishing a foundation for the admission to the UCC/UCC Global of international students from across the Commonwealth,” he said.

“UCC Global is punching far beyond its weight, achieving its mission of making quality higher education more accessible to students regionally and internationally. Its partnerships with businesses in upskilling and retraining staff — including adult learners, business owners and employees — is being seen as a boon for companies across Jamaica and the region in preparing staff teams for higher level of engagement and performance,” Adams added.

He said the education portfolio at UCC “is well bolstered” by its related companies within the UCC and Spectrum groups, which are making their mark across varied non-academic sectors.

He reminded the audience of the acquisition by UCC’s investment subsidiary, Spectrum Capital Partners, of RE/Max Elite and RE/Max Jamaica along with real estate properties in Kingston and Montego Bay, saying that the developments represent the group making major inroads in the real estate, finance, construction and investment industries.

He pointed out that RE/Max is now part of the working portfolio of Worthington Real Estate Investment and Development, the real estate and property arm of the Spectrum Group, helping to develop and maximise the use of UCC’s real estate to accommodate blended teaching methods while supporting graduating students and UCC alumni as well as Caribbean clients with residential and commercial property needs.

“Spectrum is also managing our foray into the private equity arena and is providing financing to the group and acquiring interest in other subsidiary companies directly,” he reported.

Adams also said that the Spectrum Group is “a major player in the business process outsourcing industry through another subsidiary — Global Knowledge Process Solutions — which is working to differentiate, innovate and enable the creation of technology-driven solutions which create more economic value for all of us”.

“I know that the 2023 graduates of the UCC and their families are as elated as we are at our achievements over the past year. You are proud of the institution and your successes, and equally, we are proud of you and your achievements,” Adams said.

“Our goal is to continue to rise to even higher heights, to deliver beyond expectations to all of our customers, including students, partners and the wider public,” he added.

Maryland state Governor Wes Moore, who has Jamaican heritage, as well as Dr Trisha Bailey, Jamaican-born philanthropist and real estate mogul in the United States, were both conferred with honorary doctorates by UCC on Sunday.