Former FIFA Vice President Austin "Jack" Warner has made history by becoming the oldest student of the University of Trinidad and Tobago to graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy Degree. He was among six other students in that category at the 2025 UTT Graduation Ceremony, where the University announced plans for the future and cited the expectation for its graduates. Alicia Boucher has the details.
00:00The University of Trinidad and Tobago presents Dr. Jack Warner, Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Commercial Studies.
00:12It's a feat Warner has accomplished at the age of 82, which makes him UTT's first PhD student at that age to graduate.
00:32Six other students also graduated with their PhDs this year and two with their Master of Philosophy degrees in a ceremony under the theme Forged in Innovation Driven by Purpose, Empowering Changemakers for a Resilient Nation.
00:46UTT says its postgraduate programs are experiencing growth. This year, 16 new PhD and 12 MPhil candidates were admitted in September.
00:56According to acting president of UTT, Professor Reen Maharaj, the university has been focusing on enhancing the skills of educators through the rollout and modernization of several programs.
01:08Our success is also reflected in the expansion of partnerships and external engagements.
01:18UTT's grant and currency portfolio grew from $27.4 million to $45.1 million, a 65% increase over the last year.
01:35Chairman of UTT's Board of Governors, Professor Selwyn Kajo says the university is at a critical juncture amid a fast-evolving TNT and world, including through robotics and artificial intelligence.
01:48He states that survival in this regard depends on the ability to adapt and change.
01:53UTT is looking at embarking on forging partnerships with international universities, including in Africa, Asia and the United States, which Kajo says will enable faculty and student exchanges and collaborative research.
02:09As we make our trust into the future, we will make every effort to deepen our engagement with our diaspora academics, that is, the sons and daughters of Tron Tobago, whose expertise and experience abroad can help strengthen our teaching, research and innovative capacity at home.
02:37And his words to the graduands.
02:40You are the embodiment of UTT's vision, creative, capable and committed to nation building.
02:49If you're not committed to nation building, then you have no right being in a university within the country.
02:55It's our collective responsibility to make Trinidad and Tobago a better place to live.
03:02Twenty-twenty-five recipients of UTT's honorary doctorate are Gilman Figaro, Jamwant Maharaj, Peter Elias and the senior counsel, Israel Kahn.
03:15Kahn commends Wona on his outstanding achievement.
03:19He has demonstrated that in life, the race is not for the swiftest, nor the battle to the strongest, but to those who can endure to the end.
03:32The conforming of UTT's PhD degree is but one instance of his unrelenting trust to succeed in whatever pursuit he desires.
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