Transregionalism and the Caribbean Higher Educational Space

This chapter sets out to survey the origins and consequences of the shift of a regional governance mechanism from an 'immature' to a 'mature' form of regionalism, and reflect on its influence on the coordination of activities of higher education across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)1 leading to what can be referred to as 'transregionalism'2 . The central argument in this chapter is that: (I) the absence of supra-nationality within CARICOM's governance structure led to what is referred to as a form of 'immature regionalism', where decisions made at the regional level were not necessarily implemented at the member state level; and that (2) what is referred to as 'mature regionalism' has emerged as a governance mechanism aimed at ensuring that regional decisions are implemented at the national level. In essence, the criterion of the 'maturity' of the regionalism is the degree to which policy decisions agreed upon at by Heads of Government, the highest decision making body, or by other institutions of CARICOM will be operationalized into the domestic laws of member states across the region.