The Princeton-UWI and UBA-UWI Initiative at UWI-CASE: A Strategic, Decolonized, Research-Driven Education Hub

Several years ago, I first proposed the Princeton-UWI project, rooted at CASE, in a letter to Dr. Deslandes, President of CASE. Since then, I believe the concept has continued to ruminate and percolate among some of CASE’s key thinkers as no one has even acknowledged my proposal, yet.

Last Sunday's  compelling Gleaner editorial reflecting on MAGA's coercing impact on American academic freedom prompted me to revisit and refine my original proposal. With A-QuEST having mentored/coached 11 Rhodes Scholars and over 1,300 PhDs and other doctorates (overwhelmingly drawn from my A-QuEST International Students educated in the USA) over the past 45 years, and, significantly, with Jamaica and CARICOM facing Haiti's urgent capacity-rebuilding needs, I now humbly offer this earnest and time-sensitive plan for wider public discussion.

At its heart, this initiative positions Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica, as the anchor for a globally resonant, post-MAGA, cooperative academic sanctuary. This sanctuary would be led through partnerships between Princeton-UWI and UBA-UWI, with UWI-CASE as its gorgeous flagship campus.

Proposal Outline: A Post-MAGA Global Tertiary Haven in East Portland, Jamaica

The Princeton-UWI and UBA-UWI Initiative @ UWI-CASE: A Strategic, Decolonized, Research-Driven Education Hub

I. Rationale & Opportunity: The MAGA Disruption Dividend

Recent ideological shifts in the United States—most notably the vilification of elite universities such as Harvard, Tufts and Columbia under MAGA/Trump-47 administration influence—have destabilised the traditional pathways for international students and progressive academics. These institutions, once magnets for global intellectual capital, now face censorship, political hostility, and legislative attacks. As of 2025, over 1.2 million international students in the US face increasing precarity.

This upheaval presents an extraordinary opportunity for countries like Jamaica to emerge as neutral, culturally rich, English-speaking safe havens for tertiary education. Portland, with its natural beauty, focus on climate resilience, and socio-political stability, is uniquely positioned to become the staging ground for a decolonized, South-led educational revolution.

II. The Vision: Princeton-UWI and UBA-UWI@UWI-CASE

Institutional Framework: This initiative proposes a joint academic structure uniting:

• Princeton University (USA)

• The University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica-led but regional in scope

• Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina/ or UNIANDES. Colombia

These institutions, in partnership with other Global South universities, would co-confer degrees, share faculty, and host scholars on rotating sabbaticals and field residencies. UWI-CASE, with strategically expanded infrastructure, would serve as the flagship base.

III. Degree Structure and Branding:

Programmes would include Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees under banners such as:

• Princeton-UWI BSc/MSc

• UBA-UWI Postgraduate Certificates

Curricula would integrate decolonised knowledge systems, climate and food justice, AI ethics, regenerative agriculture, green renewable energy, and post-Western governance studies.

International Middle-Class as well as Elite Gifted Students:

• From India, Nigeria, Brazil, Egypt, China, Colombia, the Philippines, Singapore, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa, Latin America, and politically weary US states. Eastern Portland, Jamaica offers safety, prestige, affordability, streamlined Jamaican visas, and English-medium instruction with South-South solidarity.

• Displaced Global North Academics: Scholars leaving the US and Europe due to censorship or tenure threats can find sanctuary and purpose at Portland. Secondments, post-retirement residencies, and ‘Free Scholar’ fellowships will ensure pedagogic excellence.

• Caribbean Students (Including Rural Talent):High-achieving Caribbean students, often marginalised by traditional admissions, will gain access to elite-quality faculty and global peers. Reserved scholarships and research apprenticeships will support their inclusion.

• Policy-Minded Governments: Jamaica gains prestige, brain gain, GDP growth, and reduced education outflows. Donor nations benefit from affordable, politically neutral venues for capacity building.

  
  

IV. Programme Features and Tuition Model

• All-Inclusive Fee: ~USD $26,000/year Covers tuition, campus housing, research assistantships, fieldwork, meals, study kit, basic medical cover, and return airfare for Global South students.

• Academic Features:

  • Multilingual faculty with live interpretation

  • “North-in-the-South” academic standards

  • Field-intensive modules in green renewable energy, marine systems, and agro-entrepreneurship

  • Compulsory community-based projects rooted in Caribbean Afro-indigenous resilience

    
    

V. Strategic Pillars for Sustainability

• Deep Partnerships: Extending beyond UWI, Princeton, and UBA to include the University of Cape Town, Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of the Philippines, NUS, and IISERs (India).

• Campus Ecology and Infrastructure: The East Portland site will be fully renewable-powered, featuring smart dormitories, solar-aquaponic farms, indigenous medicine gardens, AI-supported learning commons, and eco-research labs.

• Visa, Residency, and Enterprise Pathways: Expedited CARICOM visas, post-study residency for start-up founders, and government-backed loans for Global South applicants.

  
  

VI. Five-Year Timeline and Milestones

• Years 1–2:Sign MOUs, mobilise donor capital, admit a 100-student pilot cohort (20 full scholarships), and begin campus expansion.

• Years 3–5:Grow to 600+ students, launch dual Master’s programmes, host the inaugural Global South Education Futures Forum, and secure international accreditation.

  
  

VII. Broader Impact and Conclusion

This is more than a university; it is a global reset mechanism. East Portland can become the thinking-and-doing campus of a post-MAGA, post-Western world—a place where the most committed minds gather, grow, and lead. Jamaica must seize planetary leadership engagement in humane, sustainable education---We have done so already in Track and Field Athletics and partly so in Cricket..

Let us build the Princeton-UWI and UBA-UWI@UWI-CASE cooperative model not as a deferred dream, but as the right answer, right now.

VIII. JUSTICE CLAUSE: HAITIAN INCLUSION AS A REGIONAL MORAL IMPERATIVE

In full alignment with the initiative’s cooperative, humane, and reparative mission, a dedicated annual cohort of at least five exceptionally gifted 18-year-old Haitian students will be fully sponsored. Selected via competitive merit and character-based assessment in collaboration with Haitian partners, these scholars will receive:

• Full tuition, accommodation, meals, and medical insurance

• Language transition support (French/Creole to English)

• Special mentorship from Caribbean francophone and Kreyòl-speaking faculty

• Guaranteed summer field placements in Haiti, Cayenne, Costa Rica or elsewhere in the region

• Psychological and trauma-informed support

  
  

This is not charity, but a targeted reparative investment in Haiti’s intellectual capital. These young Haitians will serve as ambassadors of resilience and proof that Caribbean integration can be led by youth, intellect, and shared purpose.

Jamaica’s and UWI’s moral leadership must be structurally embedded. This is one such act.

By Dennis A. Minott, PhD (Physics),

UWI St Augustine '71.

Verde Siempre, ENERPLAN, & A-QuEST

June 5, 2025.