UWI surprised to hear of Bermudez appointment

Garcia was speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference.

In a release UWI indicated that Chancellors are appointed in accordance with the University’s Statute 4 which clearly states, “The Chancellor shall be appointed by the University Council.” UWI confirmed that over the past few months, it has been working through a specially-appointed Search Committee, to identify an appropriate successor to Sir George Alleyne, who is carded to demit office in the latter half of 2017.

The university said the matter of the appointment of the University’s new Chancellor is an item on the agenda for the upcoming Annual Business Meeting of University Council, set to take place on April 27, 2017, in Barbados.

In a response, the Ministry of Education in a release indicated that Garcia directed by Cabinet to report to the general public on the facts as they stood, pertaining to the recommendation of the Search Committee on the appointment of the New Chancellor of The University of the West Indies.

“The Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago was kept informed on the deliberations of the Search Committee especially since Mr. Robert Bermudez was a nominee of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Cabinet waited until in its opinion, it was safe and prudent to advise our population on this development,” the Ministry said.