In a landmark recognition for advancing accessible academic resources across the Eastern Caribbean, the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) has been named the 2026 recipient of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) prestigious annual Alison M. Phills Memorial Book Award. The formal presentation took place on November 11, 2026, during the 28th iteration of the long-running Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture, a flagship regional event honouring the legendary Caribbean development economist. ECCB’s Chief Director of Policy Dr. Tracy Polius personally handed over the award to Lynette Smith-Mullin, ABCAS’s Head of Library Services, who received the distinction on behalf of the entire college community. This year’s award package comprises a curated collection of 30 specialized volumes spanning high-growth and high-priority fields for the regional economy, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, data science, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, organizational leadership, sustainable tourism, and the burgeoning creative industries. Originally launched in 2009 under the name Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Book Award, the programme was officially rebranded in 2025 to pay enduring tribute to the late Alison M. Phills, a beloved ECCB veteran who dedicated over 30 years of her career to the institution. Phills was a foundational figure behind the development of the ECCB’s world-class library and archives, leading critical efforts to preserve the bank’s institutional records and champion a regional culture of reading, evidence-based research, and lifelong learning. The award follows a strict annual rotation schedule, selecting one community college each year from the ECCB’s eight member nations in alphabetical order to ensure equitable distribution of resources across the Eastern Caribbean currency union. During the presentation, Dr. Polius emphasized that the book award is a core pillar of alignment with the ECCB’s newly released 2026–2031 strategic plan, which prioritizes targeted investments in education, youth empowerment, and inclusive regional economic transformation. She outlined the ECCB’s long-term vision for the Eastern Caribbean, where young residents no longer need to migrate overseas to build thriving careers, launch scalable local businesses, or realize their full personal and professional ambitions. The ECCB extended its formal congratulations to the ABCAS administration, faculty, and student body, noting that the newly donated collection will expand learning opportunities, fill gaps in specialized academic resources, and directly support students’ academic milestones and future career trajectories. A commemorative photograph distributed via ECCB Connects captures the moment Dr. Polius formally presented the award to Smith-Mullin.
Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies Receives ECCB Memorial Book Award
