PROFESSOR Rose-Marie Belle Antoine officially assumed office as the new principal of University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus on Monday.
In a statement on Monday, UWI said Belle Antoine succeeds Prof Brian Copeland in this post. Copeland proceeded on pre-retirement leave on Sunday.
Belle Antoine's appointment as campus principal was announced at UWI's University Council meeting on April 29.
She began her career at UWI in 1989 as a temporary lecturer at the UWI's Cave Hill campus in Barbados.
Belle Antoine was one of the youngest UWI lecturers to be appointed to the rank of professor, in 2004.
She was also the first sitting Dean of the Faculty of Law, St. Augustine, to serve two terms.
In 2021, she was appointed UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research.
UWI said Belle Antoine's appointment as St Augustine campus principal is another pivotal milestone in her 32-year journey at the university
A UWI alumna, Antoine has served as lead consultant to all of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) governments, Canada, UK, USA, and numerous international organisations, on a wide range of diverse issues.
Her consultancies include the authoring of transformational reports on key issues of legal policy and development, drafting of new laws, advocacy, training and capacity-building of NGOs and the judiciary legal professionals.
Belle Antoine has published over 17 books, texts and published manuscripts; more than 18 book chapters and 45 selected articles, published speeches, and numerous conference papers.
She authored two pioneering texts, published by the Oxford University Press, a distinction for the regional academic community and a first for UWI'S faculty of law.
Belle Antoine is also president of the Family Planning Association and founder of the International Human Rights Clinic which chas dealt with issues such as migrants/refugees, indigenous peoples and children's rights, and gender justice.
She is currently involved in a European Union (EU) -funded UWI project that deals with injustice meted out to remand prisoners incarcerated for inordinately lengthy periods, including female murder-accused who were victims of domestic violence.
UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles congratulated Belle Antoine on her appointment.
"She is a history maker and modern-day freedom fighter whose work has been transformational regionally and internationally."
Beckles said, "As the University and its respective campuses embark on a significant revolution, we are confident in the intellect and respect that she brings to lead at St Augustine
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