The University of the West Indies (UWI) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has been appointed a Distinguished Scholar for the 2026–2027 academic year by New York University (NYU), adding another international recognition to his distinguished academic career.
Beckles was selected to join NYU’s Centre for the Study of Africa and the African Diaspora, led by Professor Michael Gomez. The appointment also marks his return to the university 32 years after serving as a visiting scholar at its Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies in 1994.
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“This is a valued expression of fellowship, especially as the Centre is renowned for its outstanding scholarship and research,” Beckles said in response to the appointment. “Being back at NYU after 32 years, now among leading scholars of African history, will be special.”
As part of his appointment, Beckles delivered a public lecture at NYU on October 13 entitled “The Economics of Wealth Creation: Why Enslaved Black Women Were the Financial Core of the Slavery Business Model.”
The presentation examined the central role enslaved African women played in the economic system of Atlantic slavery, highlighting how their labour and reproductive capacities contributed to wealth accumulation and the development of colonial economies.
Drawing on decades of historical research, Beckles challenged conventional accounts of wealth creation that have often overlooked the economic contributions and experiences of enslaved women.
“For too long, the story of wealth creation in the Atlantic world has been told without fully acknowledging the central role of enslaved African women,” he said. “My research has shown that they were not merely participants in the system of slavery but were positioned at the very core of its economic engine.”
Beckles’ appointment adds to a series of international academic honours. In 2022, he was selected as Honorary International Historian of the Year by the Association of American Historians. He has also served as Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.
A professor of economic history and economic development, Beckles has spent much of his academic career at UWI, where he has contributed to research and scholarship on Caribbean history, slavery and reparatory justice. He was appointed the university’s eighth vice-chancellor in 2015.
The latest recognition highlights the international reach of his scholarship while bringing further attention to UWI’s contribution to global academic discussions on African history, slavery and the Caribbean’s historical experience.
