The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Densil A. Williams as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of its Five Islands Campus, located in Antigua and Barbuda. His appointment was approved by the University Council at its meeting on May 13 and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has indicated its keenness to work with Professor Williams in advancing the Five Islands Campus as a key objective within The UWI’s strategic plan. His appointment is for a period of three years, commencing the 2020/2021 academic year and he has accepted the position in addition to his current portfolio as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic, Industry Partnerships and Planning at The UWI.
This decision of assigning this dual role is part of The UWI’s cost-cutting and containment strategy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The regional university is reviewing the structure and cost of leadership at the campus level and the selection of a new principal for Five Islands Campus is central to this review. In this instance, the merging of portfolios for Professor Williams will allow him to integrate the future of the Five Islands Campus within a broader “ONE UWI” strategy.
Prior to his appointment, Professor Williams was one of the lead authors of The UWI Five Islands Campus’ feasibility study which was approved by the University Council. He has remained active in the affairs of the Five Islands Campus and is Chair of its Infrastructure Committee, which negotiated with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for a grant of over US$20million to build out the Campus’ infrastructure.
During his tenure as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Williams will provide leadership on multiple strategic objectives, including project management in order to maintain compliance with the business model on which the Campus was established; maintaining effective operations; and collaborating with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in building out a cost effective infrastructure and HR architecture.
Professor Williams succeeds Professor Stafford A. Griffith who took on the role as Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal from August 15, 2019. Professor Griffith’s tenure ends on July 31, 2020. The UWI extends its gratitude to Professor Griffith for his superb contributions to the establishment and running of the Five Islands Campus over the past year.
More about Professor Densil A. Williams
Professor Densil A. Williams has built a career in business and academia for almost 20 years. A UWI alumnus, he completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Mona Campus. He graduated with a B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Economics and Management Studies in 1999, an M.Sc. in International Business in 2001 and then moved on to the University of Manchester in the UK to pursue his Ph.D., which he earned in 2006.
Following a stint in the private sector, Professor Williams served The UWI since 2007 in a number of roles at the Mona Campus. Among these include as taskforce member on the Response to The UWI Strategy 2007-2012 at the Department of Management Studies; a member of the committee which designed and implemented the M.Sc. in Agricultural Entrepreneurship offered jointly by the Department of Management Studies and the Department of Life Sciences; Chairman for the Research Committee in the Department of Management Studies; Head of Department of Management Studies; Deputy Executive Director and then Executive Director at Mona School of Business and Management. More recently, since 2016, he held the portfolio of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Planning, which involves oversight of The UWI’s Strategic Plan and institutional research to enhance the operational and strategic direction of the regional University.
At the same time, Professor Williams taught undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level courses and provided postgraduate research and supervision to many students. He has also developed new courses in corporate strategy and international entrepreneurship at Mona. In addition to teaching and administration, throughout his tenure at the University, he has contributed to extra departmental service, participating, chairing and co-chairing a wide range of committees.
He holds over a dozen awards for scholarship, research and publications. He was a Government of Jamaica Exhibition Scholar, a Jamaica Flour Mills Scholar, A Lome IV Scholar and a Commonwealth Scholar. He has also earned two Principal’s Awards for ‘Most Outstanding Researcher’ in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Mona.
Professor Williams boasts an impressive record of public service, research and scholarly work. His general area of academic specialisation is international business and he has authored five books, over 30 refereed journal articles, 27 peer reviewed papers conferences and scientific papers, a book chapter and an edited collection. He is also a member of several regional and international associations. Outside University life, he has served on a number of boards of state entities, private sector boards and committees, regional as well as international editorial boards.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Is he single?
NO! HE HAS A WIFE
UWI produces some of the greatest minds/intellectuals throughout the western hemisphere. Looks like UWI (Five Islands) will be in great hands for the foreseeable future. Hoping our young minds takes advantage of these great opportunities offered by our regional institutions. Financial resources is our major challenge.
I approve.
Way to go Densil!!
Your Manning’s family is extremely proud of you!!
So very proud of your achievements.
Congratulations Densil!
So proud to be an alumni of this great organization
Wow!!! Exceptional Resume. You are more than qualified to play a significant and strategic Leadership at this time. The Jamaican Diaspora and of course Manning’s Family salute you.
Doc D with Love.
Densil is a go getter. He has done so well and still remains so humble. I’m so very proud of you Densil. Way to go!!!
Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! “Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; … The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight:” – William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming!
The First Coming of the Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI’s Five Islands Campus, Professor Stafford A. Griffith from August 15, 2019 to July 31, 2020, was announced in the media! GoAB supported the appointment! It was welcomed by the People of African Descent!
The Coming of The First Historical Campus Council Chair was announced with Great Fanfare in the Local Media! “The University of the West Indies (The UWI) announces the appointment of Mr Aziz Hadeed, CBE, as the Campus Council Chair of its newest campus at Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda.” ANR 11/27/2019! He was nominated by the GoAB! He was approved by by The UWI Council and the Vice Chancellor! He will serve for five years! He will provide Governance Leadership during three terms of Pro Vice Chancellors at UWI, Five Islands Campus! He is the Dean of Antigua and Barbuda’s Diplomatic Corps! The People of African Descent, read, heard, and uttered not a peep on the appointment! So Let It Be Said! So Let It Be Written! So Let It Be Done!
“LEST WE REMEMBER! THE UWI TRIPLE A STRATEGY!
The Triple A Strategy is grounded in the vision that The UWI needs to facilitate an access revolution in higher education in the Caribbean region given the low level of enrolment at the tertiary level, regionally and also among members of the Caribbean Diaspora. Similarly, while access is critical, The UWI also sees the alignment with industry as an important element of its mandate, to help to strengthen the innovation capacity and capabilities of regional economies and lead to higher levels of growth. Further, while The UWI recognizes the anaemic growth of Caribbean economies, it sees potential opportunities in the international marketplace and as such, has to become more agile in order to take advantage of these opportunities. It is these three concepts (access, alignment, agility) which ground The UWI’s strategic response to the challenges and opportunities in its operating environment.”
The Second Coming of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI’s Five Islands Campus, Professor Densil A. Williams from 2020/21 to 2022/2023, was announced in the media! GoAB supported the Internal Appointment! Professor Williams, “held the portfolio of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Planning, which involves oversight of The UWI’s Strategic Plan and institutional research to enhance the operational and strategic direction of the regional University. … Professor Williams boasts an impressive record of public service, research and scholarly work!” ANR 05/20/2020! He was complimented, congratulated and saluted by the People of African Descent!
The People of African Descent resident on Antigua and Barbuda and the brothers and sisters in the OECS are pregnant with hope that these historical referent points will place them at the centre and not on the peripheral margins of the political, economic, socio-cultural and more so the educational enterprise! Understanding that they are central to this history, motivates and powers the creative and “can do drive” to make it a Lived Experience of Excellence! At the core of their consciousness, for 71 long years, even when some administrations gave up hope for the enterprise, the undying inclinations of many were to claim space as progressive change agents to transform the educational space, not only in Antigua and Barbuda and the OECS but CARICOM and to Build A Caribbean Civilization!
De Bust at Da Bridge concedes that in this the International Decade for People of African descent 2015 -2024 and out of insular obscurity, this generation has discovered its Mission and Shared Values, will it be given the mandate to fulfill them! You Be Da Judge! De Vendors at Da Market say: Pay Attention! Some People have posited that the reasons why the OECS is struggling to get to the level, where the other developed islands are, has to do with the fact that the community of graduates, the community of professionally trained people with skills development has held back the sub-region and therefore we need to align the creation of the skills, the creation of the professional training with the structures of the economy! Agility – We must make the Five Islands Campus very nimble because it doesn’t carry the heritage of the other campuses!
“Pushing ahead with a self-emancipatory agenda is critical, but we must do so fully conscious of this broader context of our development efforts.” – Dr. Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, UWI!
Comments are closed.