One of Canada’s leading universities in the field of sport sciences has partnered with the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, as they prepare to offer a master’s degree in that field.
With UWI set to introduce a MSc in sport sciences to its curriculum from September 2013, the University of New Brunswick has come on board to lend its assistance.
On Wednesday evening on the grounds of the campus, Dr Tony Secco, vice-president of academics at the University of New Brunswick, and principal of UWI’s Cave Hill Campus, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two universities.
It means that students who graduate from either the one-year full-time programme, or two-year part-time, will receive a double degree from both universities.
In lauding his Canadian counterparts for their collaborative effort in establishing what will be the first degree of its kind in the region, Sir Hilary could not contain his delight at the historic occasion.
“We intend for this programme to be established as a flagship programme in the region as it is the first of its kind,” he said proudly.
“The Caribbean, as you know, is one of those civilizations that has achieved tremendous excellence in the performance of sports.
“Over the better part of the 20th century, we have achieved that excellence and so it would be in a sense unreasonable of any academy in such a place or such a jurisdiction, not to go forward with the academic aspects of that performance culture.”
He encouraged sports journalists, administrators and sportspersons to enroll in the course, as it would greatly help to improve the overall quality of writing, while also enhancing research governance.
In his remarks, Secco noted that it was indeed a pleasure for New Brunswick to join forces with UWI, as it sought to expand its educational field.
“We are in the educational field, a very noble field, and to do it locally and engage those in a local environment isn’t an immediate responsibility.
“But once one is on their own feet I think it does raise the question, why not get out and embrace our wider family?
“So that’s what we are doing today,” he explained.
The entire programme will be done at the Cave Hill Campus, and ten courses will be offered, with five of them being taught by tutors from UWI and the other five being administered by tutors from New Brunswick.
It was also revealed that UWI was looking at facilitating an online programme to facilitate students from the Canadian university.
