Professor Sir Hilary Beckles receives honorary doctorate from NWU

The North-West University (NWU) of South Africa has conferred an honorary doctorate on Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), in recognition of his distinguished academic contributions and unwavering global advocacy for social justice.

The honorary degree – a Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in History – was awarded on Wednesday, July 30, by NWU’s Faculty of Humanities. It celebrates Sir Hilary’s lifelong work in advancing historical scholarship and using history as a tool for healing, reparatory justice, and societal reform.

Speaking after the ceremony, Sir Hilary described the award as a “deeply personal honour” and a profound affirmation of his decades-long academic and activist journey.

“This feels like a validation of my life’s work,” he said. “As a teenager in the UK, I was actively involved in the anti-apartheid and Free Nelson Mandela campaigns. I’ve always been philosophically opposed to injustice. I’m a humanist, and I believe in humanity at its best.”

In a poignant reflection, he recalled meeting South African anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko during his student years in Zambia.

“I expressed concern for his safety, and he told me that if I ever had a son, I might name him after him. He lost his life, and I honoured that legacy. My son’s name is Biko.”

The evening before the conferment, Sir Hilary delivered a public lecture titled “From Durban to Accra: Rise of the Global Reparations Movement,” highlighting the growth and momentum of the international campaign for reparatory justice for historical injustices such as slavery and colonialism.

Professor Bismark Tyobeka, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of NWU, praised Sir Hilary as a towering figure in global academia and social advocacy.

“We are honoured to have conferred an honorary doctorate upon Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, a distinguished scholar and public intellectual whose life’s work is a masterclass in using academic inquiry as a force for societal transformation,” Tyobeka said.

He continued: “As Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, and Chairman of the United Nations University, to name but a few roles, Vice-Chancellor Beckles has brought academia to the service of justice, championing reparatory redress as both a moral imperative and an economic necessity.”

The conferment ceremony marked a powerful recognition of Sir Hilary Beckles’ enduring legacy as a historian, humanist, and global leader in the pursuit of justice and equality.