The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus will confer an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree on Saint Lucian agronomist, educator, and statesman Sir Calixte George during its Class of 2025 Virtual Graduation Ceremony on January 10, 2026.

The award recognises George’s distinguished career spanning agriculture, governance, and regional development. A former UWI student, he earned a BSc in Agriculture at The University College of the West Indies, St. Augustine, in 1963, followed by a Master’s in Soil Science at the University of Reading, UK, in 1966.

Upon returning to Saint Lucia, George held key leadership positions in the Ministry of Agriculture, including Chief Research Officer and Acting Chief Agricultural Officer, overseeing agricultural stations and farmer training initiatives across the Windward Islands. He later became Executive Director of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), coordinating regional agricultural innovation.

George also played a pivotal role in the banana industry, transforming the Windward Islands Banana Growers’ Association (WINBAN) into the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company Limited (WIBDECO).

In politics, George served as President of the Senate (1979–1982), Leader of Government Business in the Senate (1997–2006), and held ministerial portfolios including Communications, Works, Transport & Public Utilities; Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry; and Home Affairs & National Security. He was instrumental in liberalising the OECS telecommunications sector, establishing the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), and serving as its founding Chair.

His lifetime of service has been recognised with numerous honours, including being Knighted as a Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCSL).

The ceremony had originally been scheduled for November 8, 2025, but was postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica.

Dr. Francis Severin, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI Global Campus, said George is a fitting candidate for the honorary degree. “The choice of Sir Calixte should remind and inspire our Caribbean people of the numerous heroes among us who dedicate their lives to the greater good. We salute Sir Calixte for his selflessness and for being an authentic Eastern and Pan-Caribbean public servant,” Severin said.