The US$80 million (EC$216 million) loan agreement for the expansion of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (UWI FIC) will be signed today.
A grand ceremony has been planned to mark the occasion that will mark the first step in expanding the campus which has been in operation for just over three years.
UWI FIC spokesman, Shavar Maloney, explained that there was a change in the date of the ceremony due to delays in the arrival of the Saudi Development Fund’s (SDF) delegation.
SDF is providing the loan which will be used to further develop the university’s campus.
Originally scheduled to arrive on Monday, the SDF delegation will now arrive this afternoon, however, the morning ceremony will continue as planned.
Several speakers will address the ceremony. They include Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Education Minister Daryll Matthew, UWI Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles and Campus Chairman, Aziz Hadeed.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Development Fund, His Excellency Sultan Abdul Arahman Almarshad’s speech which will be read during the ceremony.
In the afternoon following the delegation’s arrival, the agreement will be signed at the UWI FIC. It will be followed by a cocktail reception at the Hodges Bay Club.
Maloney said the campus’ team has already developed a master plan for the expansion of UWI FIC which has received the approval of the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda and the Campus Finance and Development Committee.
The plan has also received a nod of approval from members of the public who participated in a town hall consultation that was hosted by the government.
“We are just waiting for the availability of the funds to begin to put the master plan into effect.
“It is a 5-year development plan for the 50-acres of land that will be made available to the university.
“It will see the construction of state-of-the-art classrooms, amphitheatres, dormitories, learning resource centre, students’ facilities as well as sporting facilities,” Maloney disclosed.
