CARICOM's Hope Beyond Uncle Sam's Peculiar Son

The Caribbean and its immediate neighbours possess a surprisingly rich network of functioning tertiary institutions. Properly mobilised, these universities, colleges, and specialised training institutes could form the backbone of a practical regional response to Haiti’s current crisis while simultaneously addressing the acute labour shortages now confronting many Caribbean economies. Rather than treating Haitian migration solely as a humanitarian emergency or a security concern, a CARICOM-led initiative could approach the matter as a coordinated programme of human capital development. The region would benefit from skilled labour, while Haitian citizens would gain structured opportunities for training, employment, and dignity.

Such a programme would not require the creation of entirely new institutions. Instead, it could be constructed by linking existing universities and colleges in Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, French Guiana, and Cuba into a coordinated training corridor. The region already possesses strong capacity in medicine, agriculture, engineering, teacher training, maritime studies, and technical education. What has been lacking is the deliberate policy framework to mobilise these assets for a shared regional purpose.

Haiti itself must remain the starting point. Despite the country’s political and security challenges, its tertiary education sector continues to function in important ways. The Université d'État d’Haïti, the country’s principal public university, remains the central pillar of higher education, with faculties in medicine, law, engineering, and social sciences. Alongside it are several regional public institutions such as the Université Publique du Nord au Cap-Haïtien, the Université Publique de l’Artibonite aux Gonaïves, and the Université Publique du Sud aux Cayes. These institutions, although operating under severe constraints, could serve as preparatory centres where Haitian students receive foundational academic instruction, language training in English or Spanish, and bridging courses aligned with regional professional standards.

Haiti’s private universities also represent valuable assets. Institutions such as Université Quisqueya, Université Notre Dame d’Haïti, Université Caraïbe, Université Épiscopale d’Haïti, Université Adventiste d’Haïti, Université de Port-au-Prince, and Université de Fondwa have continued to educate students in fields ranging from business and engineering to agriculture and public health. Within a regional initiative, these institutions could provide the first stage of training before students proceed to specialised programmes elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Jamaica would naturally play a major role in such an initiative. Its tertiary sector is relatively mature and already attracts students from across the region. The University of the West Indies at Mona remains one of the Caribbean’s leading research universities, with well-developed programmes in medicine, engineering, environmental sciences, and public policy. The University of Technology, Jamaica offers strong technical and engineering training, while Northern Caribbean University has long experience in nursing, education, and allied health fields.

Jamaica also possesses several specialised institutions whose relevance to regional labour shortages is particularly striking. Mico University College remains one of the Caribbean’s oldest teacher-training institutions and could contribute significantly to addressing the shortage of trained educators across the region. The Caribbean Maritime University offers programmes in logistics, navigation, and maritime management—skills urgently needed in port operations and regional shipping. The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean contributes business and management education, while the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts enriches cultural and creative industries. Collectively, these institutions provide Jamaica with the capacity to train students not only for academic professions but also for practical sectors of the economy.

The Dominican Republic would likely become one of the largest training hubs within any Caribbean human capital initiative. Its higher education system is extensive and comparatively well resourced. The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, the country’s principal public university, serves tens of thousands of students and offers a broad spectrum of programmes in engineering, medicine, law, agriculture, and economics. The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, while universities such as Universidad APEC, Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago, and Universidad Central del Este provide strong professional training. The Instituto Tecnológico de las Américas focuses specifically on advanced technological education. Given the long-standing cultural and linguistic connections between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, these institutions could absorb large numbers of Haitian students for professional training.

Guyana also deserves serious consideration within such a regional framework. The country’s recent economic expansion, driven largely by developments in its energy sector, has created significant demand for skilled labour. The University of Guyana offers programmes across engineering, environmental sciences, medicine, and urban planning. Supporting institutions such as the Cyril Potter College of Education, the Government Technical Institute, and the New Amsterdam Technical Institute provide vocational and teacher training that could easily be integrated into a regional skills initiative.

French Guiana, though politically an overseas department of France, adds another dimension to the regional educational landscape. The Université de Guyane in Cayenne forms part of the wider French university system and therefore offers direct access to European academic networks. Its involvement in a Caribbean training initiative could provide opportunities for advanced technical and scientific training, particularly in areas such as environmental science, space technology, and tropical ecology.

No serious discussion of regional training capacity would be complete without recognising Cuba’s longstanding role in educating Caribbean professionals. Cuban universities have trained thousands of students from across Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean, particularly in the health sciences. The Latin American School of Medicine in Havana has become internationally known for its mission of training doctors from developing countries. In addition to ELAM, major Cuban institutions such as the University of Havana, the University of Santiago de Cuba, the Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas, the University of Matanzas, and the University of Medical Sciences of Havana maintain strong academic programmes in medicine, engineering, agriculture, and the natural sciences.

For the Caribbean, Cuban participation would be especially important in addressing regional shortages of doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. The Caribbean has already benefited enormously from Cuban medical cooperation over several decades. A structured training programme involving Cuban universities could significantly expand the region’s health workforce while providing Haitian students with world-class professional education.

When viewed together, these institutions form the foundation of what might be described as a Caribbean training corridor. Haiti could provide the first stage of preparation, including language instruction and foundational studies. The Dominican Republic and Cuba could serve as large-scale centres for professional training in medicine, engineering, and agriculture. Jamaica and Guyana could provide specialised programmes in education, maritime logistics, technical trades, and environmental management. French Guiana could contribute advanced scientific pathways linked to the European academic system.

The logic of such a system is simple. The Caribbean faces growing shortages of skilled workers in multiple sectors, including healthcare, construction, agriculture, tourism, and education. At the same time, Haiti possesses a large population of young people seeking opportunity but lacking stable educational pathways. By connecting the region’s existing tertiary institutions within a coordinated framework, CARICOM and its neighbours could transform a humanitarian crisis into a constructive programme of regional development.

In this sense, the Caribbean already possesses the institutional architecture required for action. What remains is the political imagination to link these universities into a coherent regional strategy—one that trains, employs, and ultimately restores dignity to thousands of Haitians while strengthening the economic resilience of the wider Caribbean.

by Dennis A. Minott, PhD.

March 15, 2026