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The United Nations and its Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, have appointed Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, to the governing Council of the United Nations University. The appointment is for a period of six years beginning May 3, 2022.

The main functions of the Council are to formulate the principles and policies of the university, govern its operations, and consider and approve its biennial budget and work programme.

Council members are appointed in their personal not their institutional, national or regional capacity and selected based on their proven expertise in the academic, scientific, and educational abilities in discerning and governing educational and cultural trends.

This prestigious appointment comes against the background of Sir Hilary’s 2021 appointment to UNESCO’s committee of globally chosen scholars to research and report on the challenges likely to confront the global university sector by 2040.

In response to the news of his appointment, Sir Hilary stated, “I am greatly honoured to be a part of the work of the United Nations University, and to contribute to its legacy of excellent governance.” Further, he added, “It is a great cause to serve the world’s university in an area associated with my lifelong engagement; how a university can be at once excellent and ethical in its performance.”