Hilary Beckles

Who is Hilary Beckles?

Sir Hilary McDonald Beckles KA is a Barbadian academic and historian, currently serving as pro-vice-chancellor at the University of the West Indies. Educated at the University of Hull in England, Beckles began his academic career as a lecturer in UWI's History Department, and was granted a personal professorship at the age of 37, becoming the youngest in the university's history. He was named pro-vice-chancellor and chairman of UWI's Board for Undergraduate Studies in 1998, and in 2002 was named principal of the university's Cave Hill campus. Although his focus has mainly been on Afro-Caribbean history, especially the economic and social impacts of colonialism and the African slave trade, Beckles has also had a longstanding involvement with West Indian cricket, and has previously served on the board of the West Indies Cricket Board. Involved in the organisation of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, he was also instrumental in securing the involvement of the university's cricket team into domestic competition.