Bartlett among 3 to receive honorary doctorates at UCC commencement

Three outstanding Jamaicans will be conferred with honorary doctoral degrees from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) at its commencement ceremony to be held at the National Arena in Kingston on July 28, 2024, starting at 11 a.m.

At this year’s commencement which takes place under the theme “Arise – take your place”, it is expected that more than 1,000 graduands will be receiving degrees for the first time in the history of the educational institution.

In excess of 6,500 guests are expected to be in attendance and thousands more online.

A record 774 students received degrees at last year’s commencement.

The three special honorees and their awards are Edmund Bartlett, with an Honorary Doctorate ( Honoris Causa) in Hospitality and Tourism Management; Adam Stewart, with an Honorary Doctorate ( Honoris Causa) in Business Administration; and Dr Patricia V. Smith, with an Honorary Doctorate ( Honoris Causa) in Behavioral Sciences.

Bartlett, who will also deliver the keynote address, has served as Jamaica’s minister of tourism for approximately 13 of the last 17 years.

“During that time the tourism industry has gone from strength to strength, positioning Jamaica as the one of the leading visitor destinations in the Caribbean, and becoming one of the main pillars behind the economic stability the country has achieved over the past decade,” the UCC stated in a release announcing the awards.

“[Currently] the island now boasts more than 22,000 hotel rooms, while the number of visitors to the island surpassed four million for the first time in 2023. Under Minister Bartlett’s leadership, tourism has been positioned as a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive growth, through job creation, Public Private Partnerships (PPP), wealth creation and community transformation.

“He has championed the development of a social equity ecosystem to give industry workers a greater sense of accomplishment, achievement and security. Human capital capacity building through the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation; the game-changing Tourism Workers Pension Scheme; the Grange Pen housing development providing tourism workers with affordable housing; and the Tourism Innovation Incubator, established to nurture new and start-up enterprises within the tourism sector, are all groundbreaking initiatives championed by Minister Bartlett.

“The achievements in tourism under Minister Bartlett’s leadership have not gone unrecognised, as in March this year, Jamaica was named the Global Destination of the Year at the renowned travel trade show, ITB Berlin. The accolade was bestowed by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), a nonprofit international media organisation of travel writers committed to recognising excellence in the industry. The organisation also named Minister Bartlett ‘Global Tourism Icon’ in recognition of his ‘outstanding contributions to the tourism industry’.”

Stewart leads his family’s extensive hospitality, media, automotive and appliance businesses as chairman and CEO of Sandals Resorts International and executive chairman of the ATL Group.

The ATL Group comprises the Jamaica Observer newspaper, and Appliance Traders Ltd, a chain of domestic and commercial appliance outlets combining exclusive distributorship of global electronic brands with customer service throughout Jamaica.

Said UCC: “Mr Stewart heads the world-renowned Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts which consists of 24 properties in eight countries, and is the undisputed leader of Caribbean vacation experiences and remains fiercely committed to the development of the region.

“Of note, Mr Stewart will join his late father, the Hon Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, in receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the UCC, as the senior Mr Stewart was conferred with the honour posthumously in 2022.”

Smith migrated from Jamaica at age 19 for the United States (US), having experienced poverty and abandonment growing up in Spanish Town, St Catherine. The ambitious and determined young woman embarked on a career in the field of nursing, and despite facing the challenges of depression and abuse during her early years in the US, founded Sweet P Home Care Inc, a New York-based home healthcare business in 1999.

Smith, now a multimillionaire, published her biography ‘I Persist’ in 2022, in which she chronicles her journey of resilience and courage in becoming a successful businesswoman in the field of healthcare and nursing, who continues to give back to her community both in the US and Jamaica.

Applauding the recipients of the three honorary doctorate degrees, Professor Colin Gyles, the university president, said, “In conferring honorary degrees, the UCC Executive Council & Board select persons who represent the core values of our university, have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour and have made outstanding contributions to Jamaica.”

These sentiments were shared by Board Chairman Dr David Panton.

Dr Winston Adams, founder and group executive chairman of the UCC and SPECTRUM groups, concurred, noting also that “all three honorees have undoubtedly excelled on every level in their respective fields”.

Adams added: “Indeed, these are the role models we commend to our students.”