"You must build upon the foundation of your past victories, rather than be overwhelmed by the monumental scope of the challenges you face, posed by this global economic recession," Montague said.

The state minister, who was speaking at the IUC's graduation ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre last Thursday, urged the graduates to exercise resilience.

"How many of us, when exposed to life's difficulties, become hard and callous? I want you do draw upon your power to choose how you see circumstances, both as graduates and as a university," he said.

"As you face the challenges of making your enrolment goals, as you strive for full accreditation, remember that the greater the problem faced by Jamaica and the Caribbean, the more there is need to empower qualified persons to help solve these problems," he stated.

Right attitude

Chancellor of the IUC, Sir Howard Cooke, said he was confident the graduates would face the current economic challenges with the right attitude.

"I am confident that the knowledge and insight gained from your years at the IUC will result in your ability to grasp the opportunities, which inevitably accompany economic circumstances, such as those being encountered at the present time," Sir Howard, a former governor general, said.

Graduands received degrees in theology, psychology, guidance counselling and education.

The academic year 2009-10 marks the commencement of the fifth year of operation in IUC's history. The University of the Caribbean was founded by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands in November 2005. It consists of two educational entities - the Institute for Theological and Leadership Development and the Mel Nathan College.