Office of Business Development

Scholarships to Students
Fifteen (15) scholarships are funded annually each valued at US$2,500 to UWI undergraduate and/or graduate students during the term of this MOU.  Scholarships may be awarded in any discipline, however, students exhibiting exceptional academic performance in the sphere of banking and finance and who meet the pre-established criteria, are also eligible for the award.  The scholarships are awarded for study on any of the three campuses as follows:

• Three scholarships for nationals of Barbados
• Three scholarships for nationals of Jamaica
• Three scholarships for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago
• Two scholarships for nationals of the Bahamas
• Three scholarships for nationals of the OECS territories
• One scholarship for a national from any Caribbean country that is the child of an employee of the Bank or any Caribbean national reading for a degree in Banking and Finance.

  Apply for CIBC FCIB Scholarship, here
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Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture

The Sir Frank Worrell Lecture is sponsored by The UWI and CIBC First Caribbean International Bank.  It has been held annually for the past 15 years to honour the memory of the famous West Indies cricketer and former Warden of Irvine Hall. The public lecture focuses on the history and culture of cricket, particularly within the context of the West Indies and its global interaction with the game. Over the past 15 years, the Lecture has attracted some of the game’s brightest scholars and cricketing greats.

CIBC FCIB Suites on Campus  (funded through the MOU)
In  2003 the Bank provided a grant  to The UWI for the refurbishment and outfitting of two areas in The Solutions Centre at The UWI, Cave Hill Campus, as meeting facilities:

• The CIBC FirstCaribbean Suite A – a 820 square foot rectangular room is situated on the first floor of the Centre and offers a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea.
• The CIBC FirstCaribbean Suite B is situated on the first floor of The Solutions Centre and is perfect for numbers up to 35 persons theatre style.
• The CIBC FirstCaribbean Micro Lab is situated on the first floor of the Solutions Centre and is equipped with twenty computers and ergonomic chairs.

To rent a CIBC FirstCaribbean Suite on Campus, click here

Graduate Placement 

The UWI Alumni Relations Office, in collaboration with CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, manages this project which aims to improve graduate employability, develop strong relationships with local, regional and national recruiters, and raise career aspirations of students and alumni of The UWI. Initiated in 2010, the programe facilitates work placements with our partnering organisations. This is a flexible method of preparing graduates for the world of work, making them more work-ready and employable for employers recruiting staff.  The programme has already proved to be a positive and beneficial experience for all those involved. Several students who have participated in placements are now in permanent employment with some of our partners.

To participate in the Graduate Placement Programme, contact our office

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The Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development (SEED) Project is an exciting, motivational programme aimed at encouraging students to think of setting up their own businesses. SEED is open to all Cave Hill students past and present, it provides a safe and educational environment to explore entrepreneurial ideas.  SEED makes use of interactive sessions that focus on providing information on all the components and processes required for the development of small businesses.

At the end of the programme, students are eligible to compete in the CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank SEED Business Case Competition.  The winners receive prize money which is to be used as SEED capital for their businesses.

Winners of the Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development 2019 Programme are: 

• Kemar Codrington and Mikhaiel Eversley - Oasis Laboratory 
• Franz Harewood-Hamblin - Grow Smart Youth Farm 
• Katrina Reece-Burley - Just Believe Children's Salon
• Shakayla Jordan - Baem'bu Box
• Sherry-Ann Waithe - Elohim's Senior Care Home 

 

​The Bank and The UWI agree that a very important contribution can be made to Caribbean development if a research culture is fostered in the region that brings together the interests of University academics with those practising in the field. This initiative seeks to support research on issues of importance to the banking and financial services sector.  The CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Business Breakfast Presentations were created to present the findings of research funded by the Bank and conducted by UWI Faculty members. 

Some of the research output generated to date include:

• Professor Patrick Watson (UWI, St. Augustine) - CARICOM Cross-Border Equity Flows.  This paper provided a study of cross-border flows among the very small countries of the CARICOM region, which is generally an under studied area. Cross-border equity flows take the form of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Portfolio Investment and data on these flows to and from CARICOM countries, including flows between CARICOM countries, are difficult to obtain. In most cases, the data simply do not exist and this has been the biggest challenge faced in doing this study. 
• Dr. Winston Moore (UWI, Cave Hill) - Management Practices and Performance of Mutual Funds in the Caribbean.  The present report contributes to the literature by evaluating the extent to which excess or abnormal returns, if they exist, are due to management abilities.  The two areas evaluated are stock market timing and stock-picking ability.  The findings from the report should indicate whether or not mutual fund managers have some informational advantage over other investors that therefore allows them to obtain higher than normal returns.  It could also provide potential investors some indication of the funds that have had historically superior returns. 

• Dr. Justin Robinson (UWI, Cave Hill) - Customer Attitudes and Preferences in Internet Banking in the Caribbean. The study sought to investigate the extent to which persons in the Caribbean utilized internet banking services, the frequency with which such services were used and the factors that influenced the extent and frequency with which internet banking services were used.
• Ms. Marlene Murray (UWI, St. Augustine) - The Behavior of Individuals towards Retirement Planning and Defined Contribution Pension Plan Options in Trinidad and Tobago and the Implications for Effective Retirement Planning. The Study examines the behaviour of individuals towards pension plans that are based on the defined contribution concept and the implications of such behaviour for achievement of their stated retirement objectives.
• Dr. Lester Henry (UWI, St. Augustine) - The Main Determinants of Bank Profitability in Trinidad and Tobago. This research seeks to identify the main factors that have contributed to overall commercial bank profitability, to examine the distribution of profits between the bank and non-bank sectors of the financial system, and to identify and explain any shifts in profits from Banks to NFIs.
• Dr. Meena Rambocas (UWI, St. Augustine) - Building Brand Equity in Caribbean Financial Services. The Study seeks to ascertain the determinants of brand equity in retail banking in the Caribbean and the relative importance of these determinants in explaining and predicting brand equity in different types of banks. It also seeks to determine whether structural differences exist in building brand equity across the Caribbean. 

Guest Lectures/Presentations by CIBC FirstCaribbean Staff
As a continuance to the relationship between CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank and The UWI, staff from the bank offers their financial expertise in the form of guest lectures/presentations to individual courses.  Lecturers of both final year undergraduate courses and graduate courses with a financial/economic interest are invited to indicate their interest and benefit from these expert lectures.