Sir Hilary appointed Chancellor of the United Nations University
Published:Tuesday | January 7, 2025 | 2:34 PM
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles was appointed Chancellor of the United Nations (UN) University by its Governance Council during a meeting in Tokyo on December 7, 2024.
His term will begin in May 2025.
Noting that Beckles has established a global reputation as a strategic planner in higher education, respected scholar and thought leader in development thinking, the Council, which unanimously appointed him, expressed its keenness to work under his Chairmanship as the University enters its 50th anniversary this year.
The position of Chancellor is honorary, with a mandate to facilitate the leadership of the Rector/Vice-Chancellor of the University, and to guide the Council in a manner that sustains the confidence of international and internal stakeholders, primarily the leadership of the United Nations, faculty members and managers, private sector investors, and students.
Beckles has served in many capacities within the United Nations; among them as Consultant to the annual United Nations Development Report on Latin America and the Caribbean; committees on the Global Future of Higher Education; Vice President and historian to UNESCO's flagship initiative, The Slave Routes Project; and recently as joint Editor of Volume 9 of the UNESCO's General History of Africa series.
He has also addressed the United Nations General Assembly on two significant occasions: first, advocating for the declaration of 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent, and later on the topic of Reparatory Justice in a multi-polar political and economic world.
Additionally, he has spoken before the UN Security Council on Global Peace under the presidency of St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, discussing the challenges posed by the deepening digitised North-South divide.
The United Nations University is a global academy, headquartered in Tokyo, with research and teaching institutes in multiple countries. It is an academic and innovation think tank and research arm for the world community.
Recently, the United Nations Academic Impact Committee selected The University of the West Indies (UWI), where Beckles serves as Vice Chancellor, as the global hub for climate action, recognising Beckles' leadership in establishing the UWI International School for Development Justice in 2024.
In accepting the appointment, Beckles thanked members of the University Council, representatives of the United Nations and other organisations, for their expression of confidence. He assured them that as the University enters its 50th year, it will continue to rise as one of the finest global universities.
Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.