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Honorary Doctorates for Four

by Barbados Today
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A regional Head of State, two world-renowned sporting icons, and an internationally acclaimed musician extraordinaire will be conferred with honorary doctorates when The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus celebrates four distinguished individuals for their various contributions to society, later this year.

Governor General Dame Sandra Mason GCMG, D.A., Q.C., a former jurist and public diplomat who heads the list, will be recognised for her outstanding contribution to public service. She will accept her honour at a Special Convocation in September.

Receiving their honours at this year’s graduation ceremony, scheduled for October 23, will be Sir Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge, KCMG, MBE and fellow International Cricket Council Hall of Famer Desmond Leo Haynes, both being honoured for their contribution to sport; while Nicholas Brancker will be recognised for his contribution to culture.

Alumna and former lecturer at the Cave Hill Campus, Dame Sandra is a trailblazer. She is the first Barbadian female attorney-at-Law to graduate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago, the first Barbadian to be appointed as a member of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal, the first female president of that tribunal, and the first female Court of Appeal Judge of the Supreme Court of Barbados.

She is a former teacher, banker, diplomat and has performed multiple roles in the administration of justice. She served as Magistrate of the Juvenile and Family Court in Barbados and as a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She is also a former Chief Magistrate and Registrar of the Supreme Court.

She has sat on numerous committees and been a member of several organizations including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Chairman of the Community Legal Services Commission, and member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

In 2018, she officially took up her appointment as the eighth Governor-General of Barbados and was conferred with Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG). On assumption of the office, Her Excellency became the Chancellor of the Order and the principal Dame of St. Andrew (DA), under the Order of Barbados.

Legendary former West Indies cricketer, Sir Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge began his Test career in 1974, scoring a century on debut versus India at Bangalore. With his batting partner, Desmond Haynes, they formed a formidable force that has been the regional team’s most enduring opening pair.

Overall, Sir Gordon played in 108 test matches, scoring 7,558 runs. He amassed a further 5,143 runs in 128 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and was named Man of the Match on at least 18 occasions. Sir Gordon represented Barbados, the West Indies, and played for teams in Australia, England, and Scotland.

He has received numerous awards and accolades, including Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George KCMG in 2020 for outstanding contribution to sport, the Barbados Golden Jubilee Award in 2016, and was named an honorary citizen of Bangladesh after successfully coaching the Bangladeshi Cricket team to win the ICC Trophy in 1997. A primary school in Barbados has also been named in his honour.

Haynes, meanwhile, represented the West Indies Cricket Team from 1978 to 1994, serving in various positions including captain and vice captain. He scored 7,487 test runs and 8,648 runs in ODIs.

He also held the record for the most runs in ODIs. Haynes has played professional cricket in England, Scotland, South Africa, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, and Australia. He has performed in numerous other sporting and political roles, including Chairman of the National Sports Council Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sports, Chairman of Selectors of the Barbados Cricket Association, manager of the Barbados Cricket Team, sports consultant with the Ministry of Education and Sports, and  Barbados senator. A stand at the Kensington Oval has been named after the two cricketing legends.

Brancker, a well known virtuoso in the entertainment industry is widely regarded as a hit-maker and the musician with the Midas touch. An accomplished piano, bass, and keyboard player, he has more than 3000 recordings to his name and is considered one of the driving forces behind the evolution of ragga soca music in the region.

He has toured with famed Guyana-born international recording artist Eddy Grant and produced for some of the Caribbean’s biggest stars, including Barbadians Edwin Yearwood, Allison Hinds, Red Plastic Bag and Rupee, as well as Trinidad and Tobago’s David Rudder and Machel Montano. Further afield, he has collaborated with Roberta Flack, Fritz McIntyre of “Simply Red”, Cindy Lauper, Maxi Priest, hip hop producer and keyboardist Salaam Remi. In 1992, Brancker received a Grammy nomination for “Love is” by Sherri Winston. He is a recipient of several prestigious music awards and the Barbados Service Star from the Government of Barbados.

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