SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 2014 – UWI TODAY
3
On September 5, 2014,
theUniversity Coun-
cil announced that the next Vice-Chancellor
of The UWI would be Sir Hilary Beckles, the
current Principal of the Cave Hill campus.
The appointment will take effect on May
1, 2015, as the current Vice-Chancellor,
Professor E. Nigel Harris, had announced
in May this year that he would demit office
in April 2015.
Following this announcement, a Search
Committee had been appointed, and at the
Extraordinary Meeting of the University
Council, presided over by the Chancellor, Sir
George Alleyne,
the committee’s
report was ac-
cepted.
The Chancel-
lor, in congratu-
lating Sir Hilary,
not ed t hat he
would be the sev-
enth Vice-Chan-
cellor (previous
ones: Sir Philip
Sherlock, 1963-
1969 ; Si r Roy
Marshall, 1969-
1974; Aston Pres-
ton, 1974-1986;
Professor Leslie
Robinson (acting)
1986-1988; Sir
Alister McIntyre
1988-1998; Pro-
fessor Rex Nettl-
eford, 1998-2004
and Profe s s or
E. Nigel Harris,
2004-2015.) He thought he would bring
impeccable academic credentials, impressive
managerial skills and the gravitas that such
an office required. He was confident that Sir
Hilary would have the confidence and sup-
port of the University’s many and diverse
stakeholders.
In advertising the position, The UWI
outlined some of the functions of the
Vice-Chancellor as set out in the fifth of its
Statutes:
“The Vice-Chancellor shall exercise
general supervision over the educational
arrangements of the University and shall
supervise the admission of students.
The Vice-Chancellor shall be ex-officio
Chairman of the Senate and, subject to the
provisions of section 3 of Statute 9, of all
committees of the Council and Senate pro-
vided that he/she may appoint any person
being a member of the University to be
Chairman of any such Committee.
The Vice-Chancellor shall maintain
and promote the efficiency and good order
of the University for which he/she shall be
responsible to the Council.
He/She should be astute to appreci-
ate and assess correctly the higher edu-
cation needs of the countries served by
The UWI and shall
play a leading part
in reviewing and
revising University
policy as may be
required from time
to time. The Vice-
Chancellor will also
be expected tomon-
itor the implemen-
tation of the current
five-year Strategic
Plan.
TheVice-Chan-
cellor should be ca-
pable of negotiating
with governments,
international agen-
cies, foundations,
and other like insti-
tutions, leaders of
the private sector,
philanthropists and
other benefactors
for financial assis-
tance and to pro-
mote the interests of The UWI.”
Sir Hilary is well known regionally and
in international circles. As Principal of the
CaveHill Campus, he is currently the longest
serving campus Principal. He has a distin-
guished record of achievement and service
as a university administrator, economic
historian and specialist in higher education
and development thinking and practice. He
serves as a member of the UN Secretary-
General’s Science Advisory Board on Sus-
tainable Development, Chairman of the
Caribbean Reparations Commission, Vice
President of the International Task Force for
the UNESCO Slave Route, adviser to the UN
World Culture Report, inter alia.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Campus Principal
Professor Clement Sankat
Director of Marketing and Communications
Dr. Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill
EDITOR
Ms. Vaneisa Baksh
CONTACT US
The UWI Marketing and Communications Office
Tel: (868) 662-2002, exts. 82013 / 83997 Or email:
The Convergence of
History and Development
FROM the Principal
My thoughts this week
are shaped by my recent visit
to the University of Vienna in Austria where I was
representing the UWI St. Augustine Campus, together
with colleagues from our History Department, at the
international conference, “The Congress of Vienna and
its global dimension,” marking the Bicentenary of the
Congress of Vienna.
There is no doubt that the Congress of Vienna which
brought together the great powers of the time (Austria,
Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and France) changed the
course of European history, created peace for 100 years
and influenced the forward march of world civilization, including developments in
the colonial Caribbean. It brought together scholars, students, researchers, professors,
historians, and decision makers who not only reflected on the effects of the historic
Congress but more importantly, discussed the various development paths taken by
European countries and their former colonies over the past two centuries and possible
implications for the future.
The University of Vienna in itself was awe-inspiring. Founded in 1365 and
celebrating its 650th anniversary next year, the university has approximately 92,000
students, and 9,700 employees, of whom 6,900 are academics. It is the largest
teaching and research institution in Austria. Beyond its size, what struck me about
this university was the vastness and depth of its historical experience as a central
institution and lead architect in helping to build Austrian society, to shape its thinking
and culture, and to create a more peaceful and prosperous future for its people. This
is no different from the mission of the UWI St. Augustine Campus.
History undoubtedly influences the future and thus, historians play a crucial
role in examining lessons learnt from the past as we chart a new course for the
future. I celebrate the work of our own historians at UWI St. Augustine, Prof. Bridget
Brereton, Dr. Brinsley Samaroo, Dr. Kelvin Singh, Dr. Kusha Haraksingh, the late Dr.
Keith Laurence and late Dr. Fitz Baptiste. We will continue to build this centre of
excellence by supporting the work of our younger historians and encouraging greater
communication and wider dissemination of their very important research.
This past Wednesday we hosted our UWI-NGC Research Awards Ceremony
which showcased the exceptional and impacting research projects undertaken
by UWI scholars across our Faculties. In celebrating their accomplishments, we
also emphasized the importance of research mentorship in seeking to build an
even stronger research culture. By intensifying our focus on knowledge creation
and by documenting and disseminating our findings using traditional scholarly
publications as well as new media and technologies, the UWI, though small and
young in comparison to other tertiary institutions internationally, will continue to
stand tall, to differentiate itself and to play its part in shaping national and regional
development.
Clement K. Sankat
Pro Vice-Chancellor & Principal
OUR CAMPUS
Our New
Vice-Chancellor
S i r H i l a r y B e c k l e s
