PM Browne asks Sir David To Be New UWI FIC Chairman

Businessman David Harrison has agreed to give “serious consideration” to becoming chairman of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Council, while former finance minister Dr. Errol Cort is being considered as a possible alternative should Harrison decline the role, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme on Saturday, Browne said he recently discussed the position with Harrison as the government and university officials seek a successor to the late Sir Aziz Hadeed, who died earlier this month.

“In fact, he just said to me he will consider serving as our chairman of the UWI Five Islands,” Browne said.

The prime minister indicated that no final decision has been made but identified Cort as another individual who could assume the leadership position if Harrison decides not to accept.

“If he doesn’t take it, I’m likely to call upon Dr. Errol Cort, possibly to serve as the chairman. I don’t know if he’s available, but I’ll have to touch base with him,” Browne said.

Browne said Harrison has not yet committed to accepting the role but has signaled a willingness to consider it.

“So David Harrison says that he will give serious consideration to it,” the prime minister added.

The comments represent the first public indication of who may succeed Sir Aziz, who served as chairman of the campus council and was widely credited with helping guide the institution through a period of rapid growth.

Hadeed, a prominent businessman, philanthropist and educator, was appointed inaugural chairman of the UWI Five Islands Campus Council in 2019 and was reappointed in 2024. During his tenure, student enrollment increased significantly and the campus expanded its academic offerings while securing funding for major infrastructure projects.

The UWI Five Islands Campus has become one of the government’s flagship education initiatives since opening in 2019. Enrollment has grown from fewer than 350 students in its early years to nearly 2,000 students today, according to figures recently cited by the government.

Browne made the disclosure while discussing a new sports and recreational facility being developed near the Sir Novelle Richards Academy, a project he said has received substantial support from Harrison.

“This would have been the second large project they would have done for us,” Browne said, noting that Harrison previously contributed millions of dollars toward the Harrison Centre and has also donated funds toward the new sporting facility.

The prime minister praised Harrison’s contributions to national development and thanked those who helped facilitate the relationship.

“I want to thank Sir David. I also want to thank Karen-Mae Hill. She’s the one who has anchored that relationship and was instrumental in getting him to fund this facility,” Browne said.

No timeline has been announced for the appointment of a new chairman.

The successful candidate will assume responsibility for helping to guide the Five Islands Campus through its next phase of expansion, including a major development programme that the government has said could involve hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]