Beckles Sir Hilary

Expert Overview

INDUCTEE 2018

CRICKET HALL OF FAME

INDUCTION CEREMONY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

Before assuming the office of Vice
Chancellor of The University of the West Indies
on May 1, 2015, Professor Sir Hilary was Principal
and Pro-Vice Chancellor of The University of the
West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, and Barbados
for thirteen years (2002–2015). Sir Hilary is a distinguished university administrator, economic historian and specialist in higher education and development thinking and practice; and an internationally reputed historian.

Sir Hilary was born in Barbados, and began his secondary education at Coleridge and Parry Secondary School in Barbados. He received his higher education in the United Kingdom and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Economic and Social History from Hull University in 1976, and a PhD from the same university in 1980. He has received numerous awards including Honorary Doctor of Letters from Brock University, the University of Glasgow, University of Hull, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and the University of the Virgin Islands in recognition of his major contribution to academic research into transatlantic slavery, popular culture, and sport. He is an editor of the UNESCO General History of Africa series. Sir Hilary was made a Commander Knight of St Andrew (KA), Barbados’ highest honor;in recognition of his distinguished service in the field of education in particular at university level and his dedication to the furtherance of the arts and sports in particular cricket.

He has lectured extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas and has published more than ten academic books. He is Chairman of the Caribbean

Community [CARICOM] Commission on Reparation and Social Justice.

Sir Hilary is founder and Director of the CLR James Centre for Cricket Research at Cave Hill Campus, and a former member of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). He is founder and inaugural Chairman of the High Performance Cricket Academy of the WICB. He is also Vice President of the Commonwealth Sports Ministers advisory body on Sport and Development. He is an Editor of UNESCO’s General History of Africa, and has conceptualized the “Global Africa” theme for this series.