Alan Cobley is a distinguished historian and academic whose career has, for decades, been closely associated with the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Barbados, where he is now Emeritus Professor of History. He is particularly noted for his contributions to historical research and to strengthening institutional records management.
Cobley is the third confirmed speaker at the International Archives Congress – ICA Barcelona 2025, where he will deliver a presentation on 29 Wednesday, October.
Professional Career
Cobley joined the UWI faculty in 1987 as a Lecturer in History. He rose swiftly through the academic ranks, attaining tenure in 1991, promotion to Associate Professor in 1995, and achieving the rank of Full Professor of South African History and Comparative African and Caribbean History in 2002. Over the course of his career, he has held a range of senior academic leadership roles at UWI, including seven years as Vice-Dean and five years as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, as well as serving for one semester as Interim Director of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies.
In February 2013, he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies at UWI, a role he fulfilled for two consecutive terms until 2019, overseeing undergraduate academic policy across the University’s various campuses. Following the conclusion of this senior administrative appointment, Professor Cobley returned to teaching and research at the Cave Hill Campus, retaining his chair in the Department of History and Philosophy.
With regard to his contributions to archiving and records management, Professor Cobley has played a pivotal role in the integration of records management within Caribbean academia. From 2013 to 2024, he chaired the University Archives and Records Management Advisory Committee (UARMAC), the body responsible for overseeing archival policy and standards across all UWI campuses. Under his stewardship, the university implemented a comprehensive inter-campus archives and records management programme, establishing unified standards for the preservation and organisation of its documentary holdings. This programme has been key to reinforcing UWI’s institutional memory and ensuring the effective management of records in the digital era.
Cobley is well known as a passionate advocate for archives, having spearheaded initiatives to enhance the preservation of documentary heritage and promote its use in historical research. In 2015, to mark International Archives Day at the UWI Museum, he delivered the keynote address, “Keeping the Record Straight: Uses and Abuses of Archives”, in which he discussed the challenges of maintaining reliable archives in a lucid and critical manner. In this lecture, Professor Cobley emphasised the importance of protecting historical records and championed the repatriation of documents removed during the colonial era, underlining the need to prevent the “uses and abuses” of archives by colonial powers.
His leadership of the Advisory Committee also contributed to the consolidation of the UWI University Archives as a regional exemplar, supporting other Caribbean institutions in developing best practices in archiving. His service on regional and international bodies has included the Academic Council of the Permanent Academic Forum of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union and the Committee of Experts on Evaluation and International Accreditation of the Association of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Academic Training, Specialisations and Major Contributions
Alan Cobley completed his higher education in the United Kingdom. He earned a BA in History from the University of Manchester, an MA from the University of York, and a PhD in History from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. This robust multidisciplinary foundation underpinned his later specialisation in African and Caribbean history.
Across more than three decades of scholarly activity, Alan Cobley has developed several areas of historical expertise, including the social and cultural history of twentieth-century South Africa, with a focus on the experiences of Black South Africans; the comparative history of Southern Africa and the Caribbean, exploring parallels and connections between the two regions; British imperial and colonial history, particularly the impact of colonialism on Caribbean and African societies; and the history of West Indian migrants and seafarers, investigating the transoceanic experiences of West Indian workers.
In terms of academic output, Alan Cobley is notably prolific. He has authored, co-authored, or edited numerous books, book chapters, and scholarly articles. His publications include Class and Consciousness: The Black Petty Bourgeoisie in South Africa, 1924–1950 (1990), a pioneering study of South Africa’s Black petty bourgeoisie. He has also co-edited collective biographies of leading Caribbean figures, such as Stronger, Surer, Bolder: Ruth Nita Barrow – Social Change and International Development. Additionally, he has contributed dozens of articles to specialised journals and presented papers at international conferences.
References
- Academic profile at UWI Cave Hill: New PVC Undergraduate Studies at UWI
- Official UWI announcements on appointments: Professor Clive Landis is new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies
- Alan Cobley Publications at UWI Press: Alan Cobley | University of the West Indies Press
- UWI Museum blog highlighting archival initiatives: BIGGING UP ARCHIVES – UWI Museum
- UWI Institutional Archives Reports: THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (UARMP) | University Archives
