News Releases

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles elected to new leadership role on ACU Council

For Release Upon Receipt - August 2, 2022

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Tuesday, August 2, 2022—Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has been elected by his peers across the international academic community to serve on the governing Council for the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). The announcement was made on July 29 in a statement from the ACU, naming the newest members of its governance body who will be responsible for overseeing the association’s activities and determining its future strategic direction. Vice-Chancellor Beckles’ appointment is for three years until August 2025. 

The ACU is the world’s first and oldest international university network, established in 1913 to provide a forum for universities to share information, knowledge, and ideas. 

This new leadership role for Vice-Chancellor Beckles follows his recent appointment by UNESCO in May this year, to serve on the Council of the United Nations University for a six-year term, as well as his recognition as UN Visionary Expert on Higher Education in 2021. 

The ACU Council comprises Vice-Chancellors from across the Commonwealth, each of whom has been nominated and elected by their peers within the ACU membership network, and will also act as a Trustee for the association. The other new members elected to the Council include Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo from Covenant University, Nigeria; Professor Barney Glover AO from Western Sydney University, Australia; Senior Professor Sudantha Liyanage from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka and Professor Wendy Thomson CBE from University of London, UK. 

Commenting on the appointment, Vice-Chancellor Beckles said, “It is indeed an honour to be invited to serve within the ACU, particularly in this capacity to impact its future strategic direction. The University of the West Indies has a legacy of partnership with the Association of Commonwealth Universities that we are proud to continue to nurture in this new dimension of service. This is also another opportunity to deepen my lifelong career engagement in higher education. I am grateful and humbled.” 

Welcoming the newly elected Council members, Dr Joanna Newman, ACU Chief Executive, and Secretary General, said, “I am delighted to be welcoming five new members to the ACU’s Council today. Our Council represents the diversity and strength of Commonwealth cooperation and our Strategic Plan, The Road to 2030, makes the case for the role of Higher Education in addressing each of the 17 SDGs. I look forward to working closely with our Council members in our shared mission to build a better world through higher education.”

Chair of ACU Council, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Professor Cheryl de la Rey, added, “A warm welcome to our newest members of the ACU Council, who join us as the world emerges from a period of unprecedented disruption. They bring with them a wealth of leadership experience and I look forward to sharing in their knowledge, drawing on our diverse communities, and working together to ensure the ACU continues to be a dynamic and exciting global network at the heart of international higher education – now and into the future.” 

END

 

Photo caption:

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, and newly elected member of Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. 

Related News:

Sir Hilary appointed to Council of United Nations University

Sir Hilary: UN Visionary Expert on Higher Education 

About the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)

The ACU Council is the ACU's governing body and is responsible for overseeing the ACU's activities and determining its future strategic direction, while ensuring compliance with the laws of England, the ACU's Charter, Statutes and Regulations, and the ACU's core policies and procedures relating to governance.

The ACU Council is made up of vice-chancellors from across the Commonwealth, each of whom has been nominated and elected by their peers within the ACU membership network. The new members will each serve for a period of three years until August 2025. For more, visit communications@acu.ac.uk 

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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