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St.Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris is set to headline a group of eight distinguisehd receipients of the 25th Anniversary Awards of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI).

PM Harris is set to receive the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) prestigious Legacy Award for his leadership, which facilitates nation-building, strengthening regional alliances, and creating a legacy that future generations can build on.

At its 25th Anniversary Gala set for Thursday in New York City, AFUWI will also honour Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston A. Browne and Vice-Chancellor’s Award will go to Premier of Nevis Mark A. Brantley.

Jamaican business executive and GraceKennedy CEO Don Wehby will be presented with its Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in global business leadership, and the GraceKennedy Group will receive the AFUWI Corporate Award for Global Business Excellence.

Other prestigious AFUWI awards will be given to Wayne Berson, chief executive officer, BDO USA, who will receive the Pinnacle Award for Excellence in financial advisory services; Dawnn Lewis, Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer and actress, will receive the Bob Marley Award; Ambassador Ralph S. Thomas, the former Jamaican ambassador, will get the Pelican Award; and Graham Robinson, SVP and president, Stanley Industrial, the Caribbean Luminary Award.

The US-based AFUWI has conferred its annual awards on notable individuals and companies that represent high levels of achievement within their respective fields of industry, enterprise, and service in their communities. AFUWI partners with UWI alumni, the Caribbean community in the USA, American foundations, and corporations to raise funds for projects, scholarships and academic programmes at the university’s four physical and one virtual campuses.
Indeed, a distinguished group deserving of acknowledgment at the 25th anniversary of the AFUWI Awards Gala,” University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, said of the 2022 honourees. “This is a time, too, when we must pay homage to the many sponsors of the event and the persons who annually attend the gala, thus contributing to the raising of scholarship funds for hundreds of worthy students.”

Sir Hilary added that “the UWI, which is preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary next year, has worked tirelessly to develop sustainable strategies in the face of many economic challenges that have caused many governments to reduce student support and, of course, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made our situation even more difficult”.