The Caribbean Oxford Initiative
Maria del Pilar Blanco explains the background and scope of a new international project to inspire collaboration and co-creation between the University of Oxford and Caribbean Institutions.
The Caribbean Oxford Initiative – CaribOx for short – is a fellowship and travel grant programme that will facilitate meaningful intellectual exchange between scholars across Caribbean institutions and colleagues at the University of Oxford. Modelled after the successful Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) and administered by TORCH, we launched the programme in the summer of 2024, with the help and insights of a brilliant internal and multidisciplinary steering group and an international advisory board. We are thrilled to announce that every year, from January 2025, we will welcome two Visiting Fellows and one travel grant holder from different Caribbean institutions. The Visiting Fellowships will last a whole calendar year, and the Travel Grants are intended to facilitate two weeks of work in Oxford. Visiting Fellows will be supported by Oxford collaborators who can help them navigate our institution more easily.
We are thrilled to have the support of individuals within and outside Oxford.
Daniel Grimley, Head of the Humanities Division, where CaribOx has its administrative base, writes: “I am thrilled to celebrate the launch of The Caribbean Oxford Initiative, which is a milestone in connecting and championing collaborations between scholars in the Caribbean and at Oxford. Collaboration and co-creation are at the heart of Oxford humanities research, and we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming the CaribOx Visiting Fellows and Travel Grant awardees in Oxford.”
Carlos Vargas Silva (Professor of Migration Studies and a member of the CaribOx steering group) writes:
"I am thrilled by the launch of the CaribOx Visiting Fellowship Scheme. This initiative underscores a commitment from the University of Oxford to foster collaboration with researchers from the Caribbean. By providing Caribbean researchers with the resources and opportunities they need to excel and collaborate with Oxford researchers, we support cutting-edge research in the region. I look forward to the significant contributions these fellows will make to our research community."
Patricia Kingori (Professor of Global Health Ethics and CaribOx steering group member) explains that,
“by creating and nourishing opportunities for scholars to come together, CaribOx will strengthen partnerships and support exceptional research and teaching in the Caribbean and at Oxford. As the Initiative continues to flourish, we will see the impact on research, teaching and public engagement.”
Marcia Roy (CaribOx Advisory Group member and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Science & Technology at the University of the West Indies Mona) notes that
“the Caribbean Oxford Initiative is a testament to the research excellence and ambition shared by the University of Oxford and the University of the West Indies. I am looking forward to seeing the contributions of the Visiting Fellows and the Travel Grant awardees to their home institutions and at the University of Oxford.”
Oxford has long had links with the Caribbean across a wide spectrum of disciplines, from earth science to urban planning and historiography. CaribOx represents a huge step forward in consolidating these connections and in dreaming up new ones. We are honoured to be launching such a unique opportunity for wide-ranging collaborations and are immensely excited to see the programme flourish in years to come.
María del Pilar Blanco
CaribOx Academic Lead (2024-26)
Professor of Spanish American & Comparative Literature.
