DISTINGUISHED scholar and cultural expert Jamaican Professor Donna Hope is the new president of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA).

The CSA is the leading independent professional organisation for scholars, students, and practitioners dedicated to the study about and advancement of the Caribbean region with members worldwide.

It is committed to fostering Caribbean research, dialogue, and collaboration across the humanities, social sciences, cultural and other sectors.

Hope, who was elected vice-president of the CSA for 2024-25, was installed to the top post for 2025-26 during the gala and awards ceremony at CSA’s 49th Annual Conference, held in Simpson Bay, St Martin, recently.

She was handed the baton by outgoing CSA President Dr Rhoda Arrindell, following a vibrant week of scholarly engagement, regional dialogue, and cultural exchange at CSA’s 49th Annual Conference.

As she assumed the presidency, Hope outlined a bold and focused agenda to include a rationalisation and renewal of CSA’s structures, ensuring the association’s sustainability, responsiveness, and operational strength; and a strategic expansion of CSA membership, with a focus on greater inclusion across linguistic, disciplinary, and generational lines.

Hope will also lead the planning and execution of the 50th Annual CSA Conference, a landmark event that will be hosted in Jamaica in June 2026.

This historic conference will be held under the theme: ‘Caribbean Vibes and Vibrations: Culture, Identity and Development in Transformative Times’.

It promises to be a dynamic space of reflection, scholarly innovation, and celebration of the Caribbean’s intellectual, cultural, and social contributions.

In accepting the presidency Hope said, “It is an honour to lead CSA into the year that it celebrates the 50th staging of the conference. This is a moment to strengthen our foundations, celebrate our collective intellectual labour, and affirm the centrality of Caribbean thought and culture to global conversations”.

CSA’s 50th Anniversary Conference will gather scholars, researchers, policymakers, artists, activists, and partners from across the region and worldwide, making Kingston the global capital of Caribbean thought, June 1-5, 2026.