HONORARY GRADUANDS

A record sixteen persons are to be conferred with honorary doctorates at the UWI graduation ceremonies in October and November this year – six at the Mona Campus and five each at the Cave Hill and St Augustine campuses in the annual ritual of recognising outstanding contributors to the region and the wider Diaspora.

The Mona graduation ceremonies which, for the first time will be staged in three sessions, will see the conferral of honorary degrees on Mr Havelock Brewster, Dame Karlene C. Davis, The Hon Gilbert Passos Gil Moreira, Mr Michael Lee-Chin, Mr Douglas Orane and Mr Rogerick Rainford.

Mr. Havelock Brewster

Mr. Havelock Brewster, an international consultant, will receive the award of Doctor of Laws (LLD). A Guyanese national, Mr Brewster has had a sterling career as an international civil servant. He worked for many years as an economist in international organisations including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Inter-American Development Bank and CARICOM and also served as Guyana’s Ambassador to the European Union, Austria, Belgium and Germany.

Dame Darlene C. Davis

A Jamaican living in Britain, Dame Darlene C. Davis, will be conferred with the Doctor of Sciences degree (DSc) for her outstanding career in midwifery, education and development. Dame Karlene plays a major role in the arena of healthcare in the UK and has led the UK’s Royal College of Midwives for more than a decade. She is currently President of the International Confederation of Midwives.

The Hon. Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira

Acclaimed musician and Brazilian culture czar, The Hon. Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira, will be honoured with the Doctor of Letters (DLitt) honoris causa. He began his career as a bossa nova artiste but Gilberta Gil has since widened his musical expertise and has mastered the art of blending contrasting musical styles. Indeed, Gilberto is considered to be one of Brazil’s revered pop stars and is also the country’s Minister of Culture.

Mr. Michael Lee-Chin

Jamaican/Canadian entrepreneur extraordinaire, Mr. Michael Lee-Chin, will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. A graduate of Ontario’s McMaster University with a degree in Civil Engineering, Mr Lee-Chin has returned to Jamaica and made good his dream of contributing to his native country by investing heavily in several development projects, buttressed by his significant financial services empire in Canada as well as in Jamaica

Mr. Douglas Orane

Another outstanding Jamaican entrepreneur and engineer by profession, Mr. Douglas Orane will also receive an LLD honorary degree. Mr Orane has, since 1995, headed one of the Caribbean’s leading conglomerates, the Grace Kennedy Group of Companies and has shown foresight and courage in his leadership of the CSME-ready business which currently boasts some 36 subsidiaries across the region.

Mr. Roderick Rainford

The sixth honorary degree will be awarded to Jamaican consultant and public servant, Mr. Roderick Rainford. He will receive the LLD degree honoris causa. A former Governor of the Central Bank of Jamaica, Mr Rainford was named one of the ten most outstanding UWI Alumni during the institutions fortieth anniversary celebrations in 1988. For three years he served as Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM and subsequently became the Secretary General, serving from 1983 to 1992.