Biography
Dr. Gale T C Rigobert is Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of St. Martin (USM), in the Dutch Caribbean. She is the former Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development in Saint Lucia (2016-2021). Prior to becoming a parliamentary representative, a position she held on to for over nine (9) years (2011-2021), she was a government senator for a short period, which followed her role as advisor on national development to the Government of Saint Lucia (2010-2011). Dr. Rigobert was appointed Leader of the Opposition in 2013, the first woman to hold such office in the island of Saint Lucia.
Her career path has taken her through the hallowed walls of academia, with her career spanning several countries and institutions: The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago (2002-2010); SPRU, University of Sussex (2009), the United Kingdom; Anton de Kom University, Suriname (2009); the Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre (IGDC), University of York (2021-2022) and now the University of St. Martin.
She has distinguished herself as an advocate for women’s rights, playing an instrumental role in legislative reform to address issues affecting vulnerable women and girls at home, and internationally advocating for them, some of which found expression in the Montevideo declaration, for example. Her sterling leadership in international fora on topics such as climate change and the viability of SIDS; sustainable development (2030 Agenda) and transformation in the education sector are evident not only in policy outcomes but also in research output. She is an avid proponent of data inspired development policy. She is intimately involved in capacity building efforts to develop a cadre of well-trained development statisticians, diplomats, and teachers who are competent in the use of educational technologies.
She currently serves as Chair of the External Advisory Board at the Interdisciplinary, Global Development Centre (IGDC) at York University.
She is the founding CEO and Principal consultant for Propel Ltd. Most recently Propel Ltd., under her leadership was engaged by the United Nations to undertake critical research on the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector in eight (8) countries in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Dr. Rigobert’s immediate focus now is propelling USM onto a growth path, setting it apart as a premier institution of Higher Learning. For her this is integral to satisfying the commitment enshrined in SDG#4 on quality education and SDG#1 on eradicating poverty.
Location
Castries, Castries, Saint Lucia
