The University of the West Indies announced yesterday that Sir Hilary Beckles will be appointed as the next Vice-Chancellor with effect from May 1, 2015, Trinidad’s Express reports.

The Chair of the Search Committee Dr Marshall Hall noted that the advertisement for the post attracted in excess of 50 applicants from all over the world and the search committee eventually came up with an initial short-list of seven which was eventually whittled down to three candidates who were invited to be interviewed.

It is understood that UWI, St Augustine principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor Clement Sankat was interviewed. Sankat is currently in Samoa attending a conference.

Both Sankat and Beckles were Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of their respective campuses. Sankat at St Augustine and Beckles at Cave Hill. They both applied for the Vice-Chancellor position. What has happened now is that Beckles has moved up to the higher position of Vice-Chancellor to replace Nigel Harris who leaves office in April 2015, a source explained last night.

As a result of the interview and subsequent discussions, the committee arrived at a consensus on Sir Hilary as the preferred candidate.

The council expressed its gratitude to Dr Hall and the committee for the efficient and expeditious manner in which their work was carried out.

Chancellor Sir George Alleyne in congratulating Sir Hilary noted that he would be the seventh Vice-Chancellor.

He would bring to the position 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 support of the university’s many and diverse stakeholders.

Sir Hilary Beckles, vice-chancellor-designate is well known regionally and extra-regionally and as principal of the Cave Hill Campus, is currently the longest serving campus principal.

He has a distinguished record of achievement and service as a university administrator, economic historian and specialist in higher education and development thinking and practice.

At the international level, he currently serves as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Science Advisory Board on Sustainable Development, chairman of the Caribbean Reparations Commission, vice-president of the International Task Force for the UNESCO Slave Route, and adviser to the UN World Culture Report inter alia.

For the original report go to http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sir-Hilary-Beckles-to-serve-as-UWIs-next-Vice-Chancellor–274183191.html