New fund to hunt US$200m for development of NCU

An international development foundation aiming to raise more than US$200 million for Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville, Manchester, will be officially launched this month.

The United States-based Northern Caribbean University International Development Foundation (NUCIDF) has announced the event, billed its ‘Impact Gala’, will take place April 28.

The event will be held at the Atrium (Sligo Church) on the Washington Adventist University campus in the US and live-streamed to audiences worldwide.

Pastor Paul H. Douglas will serve as distinguished guest speaker. He is the treasurer and chief financial officer of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church and an alumnus of NCU.

Ahead of the gala, which gets under way at 6 p.m., there will be a reception starting at 5.

Upgrading ageing infrastructure

The primary objective of the NUCIDF is to raise funds and execute vital capital development and improvement initiatives at NCU. It’s mission is to mobilise resources and support the university’s advancement through collaboration with local and international organisations, foundations, and grant-funding bodies. The NCUIDF will also aim to bolster faculty retention.

Projects earmarked for funding in the initial phase include upgrading ageing infrastructure with state-of-the-art information technology and environmentally friendly laboratories, classrooms, residence halls, and other campus facilities. Additionally, the Foundation will focus on endowed faculty positions to ensure a sustainable academic environment.

The NCUIDF, a non-profit 501(c) (3) headquartered in Washington DC, is expected to operate as a major global fundraising entity for the university, with a vision of a financially sustainable and academically thriving NCU.

Established in 1907 as West Indies College, NCU is Jamaica’s oldest private tertiary institution. Evolving from a junior college to a university offering more than 70 degree programmes, NCU has made significant contributions to education and society for over a century.

Dr Bertram L. Melbourne, chair of the NCUIDF, is eagerly anticipating the Impact Gala and emphasised the university’s significance, stating, “Our dear ‘college on the hill’ is worthy of our salute and more of our support. Now it is our turn to propel this university forward into the next century.”