Dr. Abdul Knowles, Director

Abdul Knowles, Ph.D., born and raised in The Bahamas, is the 18th Director of the Institute of International Relations (IIR) at the University of The West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Dr. Knowles was a senior member of the staff at the University of The Bahamas (UB) from 2018 2026. Most recently, he was the inaugural Executive Director for the Office of Global Studies and Programmes (OGSP), where he established international partnerships, including Memorandums of Understanding, to host international visiting scholars, researchers, and diplomats, including Heads of State. In addition, he managed international exchange programs for faculty, staff, and student mobility. He is also the former Director of the Office of Global Studies and Programmes and the former inaugural Director of Asian Relations and the Confucius Institute at UB. He was also an adjunct faculty member who taught research methodology courses and supervised theses for undergraduate and postgraduate students. For 18 years, before his tenure at the University of The Bahamas, Dr. Knowles was a lecturer, and business program director at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) in Beijing, China. Dr. Knowles has worked as an adjunct faculty and lecturer at several universities in China, including Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University, China Agricultural University, and University of International Business and Economics. He has won several teaching awards, including the Outstanding Teacher Award and Outstanding Individual Employee at BUCT. Dr. Knowles also served as a volunteer adjunct business professor at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). In 2017, he was the first international recipient of the Teaching and Service award at PUST. Dr. Knowles has dedicated his career to international human rights and has written on international human rights and refugee law practices in the Caribbean and Asia. In 2012, he was a graduate student in the Visiting Researcher Program at Harvard Law School. In addition to this honor, he has received numerous fellowships to support his research endeavors. He has been the recipient of a full scholarship for the Summer Human Rights Institute at Fordham Law School; received full funding as a Summer Research Fellow at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in the Republic of Korea (South Korea); a full grant from the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin Charitable Foundation to participate in the Migration and Human Rights Program, hosted by The Rhizome Center for Migrants in Guadalajara, Mexico. Additionally, Dr. Knowles received full funding from the Nippon Foundation to represent the University of The Bahamas at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities National Faculty Development Institute, “Incorporating Japanese Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum” at San Diego State University. Dr. Knowles has a doctorate in international law from China University of Political Science and Law, a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law with a concentration in Human Rights & Comparative Constitutional Law, and a Master of Science (M.S.). in International Affairs with a concentration in Post-Conflict State Reconstruction and Sustainability from Seton Hall University, School of Diplomacy & International Relations (SHU). 1 He was inducted into the SHU Chapter of Sigma Iota Rho, a national honor society for international studies. He holds a Masters of Laws in Contemporary China Studies from Renmin University of China and a Bachelor’s degree in business management from Luther College (Iowa, USA). Dr. Knowles has traveled to 46 countries and counting. He enjoys international travel, including visits to Christmas markets in European countries and local farmers’ markets. He also enjoys listening to Christian sermons, volunteering on refugee, migrant, and immigration issues, and advocating for human rights. Currently, he serves as a Board Member and Secretary at The Rhizome Center for Migrants. Dr. Knowles likes long walks and drives while listening to music. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and enjoys learning other languages.