Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the UWI, Professor Densil Williams, commended Sir Hilary giving him the prestigious title of ” a giant leader of the UWI” at a book launch on February 15, 2024, at the University of West Indies Mona. The book was edited by UWI professors Verene Shepherd, Dr. Henderson D. Carter, and Dr. Ahmed N. Reid and published by Ian Randle Publishers.
Professor Williams said that the “Festschrift” [which suggests the combination of intellectual work through several individuals who come together in honor of an immaculate scholar] “ to celebrate an academic administrator par excellence, an advocate by devotion and one of the rare breed of true intellectuals who are tenanting with us on Mother Earth” In the book, he stated that“ colleagues near and far not only memorialized Sir Hilary’s work but have placed the man in his rightful intellectual and philosophical place”.
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Dr. Luz Longsworth, a former pro-vice-chancellor and principal of UWI Global, chaired the Festschrift, which featured special remarks from Carl Campbell, an emeritus professor of history; a personal reflection by Errol Miller, an emeritus professor of teacher education; and an editor’s conversation led by Professor Kris Manjapra, the director of arts and humanities at the Social Action Lab at Northeastern University, who had “conversations” with the three editors.
The Akwaaba Drummers greeted the guests, and they were treated to a performance of a scene from Sir Hilary’s play “The Betrayal,” which was given by a group of former members of the UWI Dramatic Arts Society. The group was housed at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the UWI, Mona Campus, and was led by Michael Holgate, the Center’s Head. The entertainment portion concluded with a moving jazz performance by the UWI Classical and Jazz Ensemble (CAJE).
In his reply, Sir Hilary thanked his friends, family, and coworkers, citing them as sources of inspiration and support for his vision for the UWI and outlining his thirty-year tenure at the university.
Among his numerous accomplishments were the founding of The Five Islands University in Antigua and Barbuda, the UWI’s fifth campus, and the university’s excellent ranking by the esteemed The Times Higher Education (THE).
The institution was placed in the top 4% of all universities worldwide starting in 2019. In 2020, the Institution of the West Indies (UWI) was rated as the best university in the Caribbean, the top global university for students aged 50 to 80, and in the top 1% of universities in Latin America. The UWI has been ranked better every year, and by 2021 THE placed it in the top 1.5% of institutions worldwide.
