The University of the West Indies has soared to within the top 1.5% universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education ranking system.  

The university was previously ranked within the top 3% universities last year, but has now shot up an impressive 94 places in the table. 

From a global field of an estimated 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, the University of the West Indies (UWI) now sits near the global summit of academic institutions. 

The annual ranking system is used as a gold standard measuring tool to compare the performances of the best universities around the world. 

The institutions are ranked under five categories of excellence, teaching and learning, research, scholarly and professional citations, industry income and international outlook and participation. 

In a statement, vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, said: “This is spectacular news!”

Mr Beckles added: “While we have maintained our number one position in the Caribbean, and top 1% of the best in Latin America and the Caribbean, the surge to the top 1.5% in the world gives us a considerable degree of professional satisfaction as a management and leadership team.” 

“The top global tier is where we set out to position our university and we have reached there,” he concluded.

Since 2016, management at the educational institution made a strategic decision to prepare the UWI for global competitive rankings.

Over the last few years, the UWI has continued to impress with their results, research facilities and commitment to providing a world-class education to its students.

Graduates from the UWI say the professional and caring approach from lecturers helps to bring out the best in its students. 

Fitsroy Randall, 21, graduated from the UWI, this year with a first class honours in Journalism, Literature and English. 

Speaking to The Voice from Jamaica, he said: “The lecturers I had were very caring, understanding and genuinely wanted to see their students succeed.”

He studied at the Mona campus in Jamaica and believes the strict education system across the Caribbean region has contributed immensely to preparing students for higher education.

“The Jamaican and Caribbean education system is one of the best in the world and it rigorously prepares you for the world of academia and that translates when students go into UWI, we are accustomed to the high levels of work from primary school level,” he said. 

The former student is from a rural community, in St James, Jamaica, and was awarded with a scholarship to study at the UWI because of his outstanding academic ability.

Mr Randall is the first member of his family to attend university and graduate with a degree and says he was motivated by his humble beginnings. 

He said: “My family were poor, my mother is a farmer and my father works in the construction industry and it was really tough for them and I wanted to make them proud and make the most of the opportunity I was given.” 

Mr Randall credits his education at Irwin High School, in St James, as setting the foundation for his desire to attend university. 

He said: “The school really pushed me and even when I was at university, those same teachers from my high school were behind me and pushing me every step of the way and that helped so much.” 

Mr Randall revealed that while studying for his degree his family was hit by a number of tragedies, which made him feel like giving up.

He said: “While studying, my brother and cousin were murdered and I lost my step father and I really struggled. 

“I was so close to giving up, I missed class and I wasn’t eating. I was just crying in my room. 

“I realised my grades were slipping and I didn’t care, but my lecturers stepped in and saw that I was hurting and they spoke with me and they gave me the motivation to carry on and get through the semester.” 

During the height of the pandemic and at the start of his third year, Mr Randall’s computer stopped working and he was forced to type his assignments on his mobile phone. 

He eventually confided in his lecturers, who managed to get him another computer for him to complete his exams and finish his degree. 

“This is a prime example of what I mean about the lecturers I had at UWI, they really did support me,” he added. 

Mr Randall is fully aware of the negative stereotypes which surrounds Jamaican men and said “I didn’t want to turn to crime, I didn’t want to be a statistic.”

He said: “I am from St James and the perception is that people from there are scammers or criminals and I didn’t want that for me. 

“My brother who died, was always happy about me going to university and that was an important motivation for me and I knew that giving up was never an option.”

The 21-year-old has now secured a new job abroad as an online reporter and is looking forward to beginning his career as a journalist.

UWI started as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students in 1948. 

The university has since developed into an internationally respected higher education institution and has almost 50,000 students in its five campuses across the Caribbean. 

The UWI campuses can be found in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda.

Famous alumni from the university include Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, media personality Fae A. Elington and former Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson. 

The UWI is one of the only two regional universities in the world and has nine global centres.