Author: Ross Bachiller

We are delighted to share that Mrs. Tawney Bennett and Mrs. Karolina Norris represented TBLS at the 2025 Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions (ACTI) Conference, hosted by the University College of the Cayman Islands from March 25–28. Their presentation, The Role of Online and Experiential Learning in Advancing Social Mobility and Sustainable Higher Education in the Caribbean, explored the transformative potential of online and experiential learning in breaking down barriers to social mobility, addressing access inequalities, and fostering regional collaboration.

A key proposal of their paper was the integration of micro credentials into Caribbean higher education. These short, targeted learning experiences would allow students and professionals to gain specific skills aligned with workforce needs, enhancing employability and lifelong learning opportunities. By offering stackable micro credentials in areas such as legal drafting, business administration, and sustainability, institutions could collectively create flexible pathways to qualifications, making education more accessible and responsive to industry demands.

They also emphasized the growing need for online experiential learning initiatives that bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills. These initiatives promote authentic learning experiences by allowing students to engage with real-world challenges in a digital space, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving and digital literacy. Moreover, integrating experiential learning into online platforms enhances accessibility and scalability, enabling students from diverse backgrounds and locations to benefit from hands-on learning opportunities without traditional barriers to participation.

The ACTI Conference, themed Re-imagining Higher Education – Impacting Economic & Social Transformation in the Caribbean, brought together educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss key issues such as artificial intelligence in the Caribbean, operational optimization in higher education, and sustainability-driven innovation.

“We congratulate Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Norris on their impactful contribution to the ongoing conversation on the future of higher education in the Caribbean,” said Mr. Davies.

Thanks to the kind support of the Portfolio for Legal Affairs, three LL.B students at the Truman Bodden Law School, third year student Dena’e Alexander (centre right) and second year students Jenna Alpulche (right) and Curtis Bale (centre left), accompanied by Alexis Mavrikakis (left), Senior Lecturer, were able to attend the American Caribbean Law Initiative‘s 2024 Caribbean Law Clinic hosted by the Eugene Dupuch Law School in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Dena’e, Jenna and Curtis worked together with students from Florida International University, Stetson University (Florida), Norman Manley (Jamaica), Hugh Wooding (Trinidad and Tobago) and Eugene Dupuch (The Bahamas) Law Schools, to prepare arguments on complex legal questions of international and Bahamian law on unlawful migration, pollution of the marine environment and marital rape, which they then presented to a high-ranking panel from the Bahamian legal world, including a King’s Counsel, a UN rapporteur and the managing partner of the oldest law firm in The Bahamas.

All three students were commended for the clarity and high quality of their submissions and for their ability to deal with the challenging questioning that they faced from the panel. Dena’e said that, “this experience has been invaluable, allowing us to address significant real-world issues while enhancing our advocacy skills throughout the process”. Jenna added that she found it “an incredible opportunity to practise our advocacy skills and rewarding to meet some of the lawyers who are helping to shape the future of human rights in the Caribbean.”

The American Caribbean Law Initiative’s mission is to advance the common interest of its members, including TBLS, in the growth and development of the Caribbean basin by facilitating collaborative relationships and by strengthening its legal development and institutions.

TBLS Lecturer Laura Panades was invited to attend high-level training on avoidance of fraud in public procurement.

Public procurement is the area of the law that regulates the public sector purchases of goods and services from the private sector.

This was an intense 3-day training covering practical aspects on how to detect fraud in procurement.

The training took place on 29 to 31 October at the Hotel Indigo in Grand Cayman.

The event put together hundreds of procurement leaders across the entire civil service, to build expertise across Government.

The event was organised by the Cayman Islands Central Procurement Office, in partnership with the US Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Panades is extremely grateful to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for sponsoring the training, and the Portfolio of Legal Affairs, for having supported her attendance.

Laura Panades, Lecturer in Law and researcher on Caymanian public procurement, said:

“Avoidance of fraud in procurement is essential to keep building Cayman’s good reputation and outlook.

“This training has enabled me to continue to enhance my contributions with the aim of improving the quality of Government’s laws, policies and procedures through my research.”

FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM

Laura Panades

Laura.Panades@gov.ky