“Never Stop Learning”: UWI Chancellor Says a Degree Is Only the Beginning

UWI Chancellor Dr. Dodridge Miller has told the university’s 2026 graduates that their degrees provide a foundation for the future, but continued learning will be essential as technology transforms careers.

Delivering his address at the Five Islands Campus graduation ceremony, Miller urged graduates to develop the ability to acquire new skills throughout their working lives.

“Your degree is a strong foundation, but it is the beginning of your education, not the end,” he said.

“The most valuable skill you will have is not what you know today. It is your ability to learn tomorrow.”

Miller said developments in artificial intelligence and other technologies were changing established professions while creating new opportunities.

He encouraged graduates to learn how emerging tools work, question their limitations and use them effectively.

“Learn these new tools, master them, question them,” he said.

Drawing on cricket, Miller compared the current technological transition to the arrival of T20, when successful players retained the fundamentals of the game while developing new approaches.

Graduates, he suggested, would similarly need to build on their existing education while adapting to changing demands.

His address also stressed that technological competence should be accompanied by compassion and ethical judgment.

“Artificial intelligence can process information, but it cannot replace wisdom,” he said. “It can identify patterns, but it cannot feel compassion.”

Miller further encouraged graduates to expect setbacks and avoid allowing disappointments to determine their futures.

“No matter how advanced technology becomes, it will never remove setbacks from life,” he said.

He acknowledged the disruption and uncertainty graduates had already navigated to complete their studies, urging them to carry that resilience into the next stage of their lives.

The Chancellor concluded by encouraging the class to move forward with confidence, humility and purpose, while remembering their Caribbean identity and responsibilities.