The United States has begun to lose its long-standing appeal as the top destination for international education. Political tensions, stricter immigration laws, and hostile campus environments have left international students uncertain, anxious, and cautious.
This shift presents a clear opportunity for the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the wider Caribbean region. As over 1.3 million Indian students go abroad annually—second only to China—the question is no longer if they will leave, but where they will go. While Germany, Australia, and other European nations have seen a rise in enrolment, language and visa uncertainties remain barriers. The West Indies, with its Anglophone population, cultural vibrancy, and war-free environment, is well-positioned to step in.
We must now ask ourselves: why not market the Caribbean as a hub of high-quality, peaceful, and accessible education? Some offshore medical schools already exist regionally, but it’s time to expand this model. The UWI can become a regional leader not just in medicine, but law, engineering, business, the arts, and digital technology. We can now portray the West Indies as a place of sun, sea, and study.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit offers a timely moment to strengthen academic ties. By strategically partnering with Indian education ministries, twinning programmes, and flexible student transfers, the UWI could see a powerful new influx of international students. This would bring foreign investment, increase rental income, boost local businesses, and create jobs.
Why shouldn’t Harvard also be invited to set up an offshore campus here? Many top-tier US universities have explored this for profit. We must now encourage them to look to the Caribbean not just for business, but as a haven for academic freedom, away from the growing constraints in their home countries.
Locally, the UWI can also leverage underused infrastructure like the Debe Campus and Couva Children’s Hospital. As activist Destar Dythe rightly said: “We have always questioned why the campus (Debe)was allowed to fall into this state. It’s bush all around, and now we are hearing that the campus has rusting, corrosion, sewer problems, and multiple water leaks.”
And, as soca/reggae artiste Adanna Paul added: “We have a lot of people looking for work and waiting for this campus to open. The university should try to open the campus as soon as possible. And if they do not have the money, hold fundraisers.”
A coordinated effort across the UWI campuses can also make studying in the West Indies unique. Imagine a degree with the same curriculum that allows students to start in T&T, continue in Jamaica, and finish in Barbados. Students could experience the land of Brian Lara, and the birthplaces of Bob Marley and Rihanna —while getting a world-class education.
Local students who can afford it would now have the experience of moving between the three campuses. I had the pleasure of attending all three, which has instilled a feeling of West Indian pride and belonging in this part of the world.
Imagine a Faculty of Arts learning from the artistic masters Brian MacFarlane, Peter Minshall, and designer Peter Elias. Imagine a training institute run by Penny Commissiong and Wendy Fitzwilliam. We also have enough Olympic icons to attract people.
Mental wellness is another overlooked factor. Studies have shown that international students have increased rates of anxiety and depression, and this can now increase with the rise of immigration enforcement policies. Those of us who could afford it may have to rethink sending our children abroad.
Gaurav Arora, of the Council for International Education, says some Indian students are simply “looking to get out” of their home environments. Also, limited spaces force 25,000 Indian students to leave annually just for medical degrees. Many turn to Germany or Australia—but UWI could become the new destination of choice.
Even nations like Canada, once seen as a liberal haven, have begun limiting student visas due to housing pressures and rising living costs. According to Professor Paromita Pain, “some students—especially from the Global South or Muslim-majority countries—are looking away from the USA, opting for safer places of learning.”
We must respond to this global shift. By offering broad-based liberal arts and science education, similar to what MIT or Harvard offers, we can train not only specialists but future leaders. We must also expand online degree programmes and digital universities to reach students who value affordability and flexibility.
With vision and regulation, UWI can become more than a university—it can become a regional engine of opportunity. A place of dignity, freedom, and transformation.
Let’s build an academic future that reflects our diversity and extend a hand to welcome those students now in limbo.
