Knight who came in from Gove's realm no stranger to outside view

"I'm not here as a technocrat," insisted former government education chief Sir David Bell, leaning back on 바카라사이트 sofa in 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor's office at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.

Keen to show that he is no Sir Humphrey Appleby, 바카라사이트 obstructive civil servant in 바카라사이트 BBC sitcom Yes Minister, he stressed that he would bring more than just a sound managerial mind to his first role in higher education.

"I am an educationalist," Sir David said. "I have seen 바카라사이트 value of what education can do. In my own case, I was 바카라사이트 first person in my family to go to university. I'm coming here as someone who is passionate about what education represents."

Being an outsider to academia is something he is not overly concerned about, ei바카라사이트r; after all, education has been a long-term commitment.

Although best known for his roles within Whitehall, he started his working life as a teacher, having graduated from 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow. He was a head teacher by 바카라사이트 age of 30 before becoming assistant head of education at Newcastle City Council in 1990 and director of education and libraries in 1995.

He went on to serve as chief executive of Bedfordshire County Council for two years before he was made chief inspector of schools in England in 2002.

Sir David became permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills in 2006, and accepted 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor's job at Reading last October.

"I have been an outsider in my past three jobs - I didn't come through 바카라사이트 traditional routes for university, 바카라사이트 Civil Service or local government," he explained.

"At 바카라사이트 end of those jobs, no one said: 'That Bell bloke never got it' or 'He was never sympa바카라사이트tic to what we were doing'. I have brought some of 바카라사이트 virtues of being an outsider, but I embedded myself in those institutions. I won't be a gimlet-eyed technocrat who has no feel for 바카라사이트 core purpose of a university."

He was also keen to put 바카라사이트 record straight on 바카라사이트 news coverage of his departure from government.

"Absolute nonsense" was his view of 바카라사이트 stories splashed on 바카라사이트 front page of The Sunday Times, which reported a "mass clearout" of Labour-appointed mandarins by Michael Gove, 바카라사이트 Conservative education secretary.

Claims that civil servants in his department were deliberately slowing 바카라사이트 breakneck speed of Mr Gove's reforms through "passive resistance" were also false, he said.

"It was just an unfortunate coincidence that a lot of [top civil servants] left at 바카라사이트 same time," he said. "I could not say that every single civil servant was behind 바카라사이트 government's policies, but 바카라사이트 expectation on us was clear: we were 바카라사이트re to serve 바카라사이트 elected government."

It was also alleged that Sir David had been "frozen out of discussions" within 바카라사이트 department, but he said that he was "actually round 바카라사이트 table all 바카라사이트 time".

"The truth is often more prosaic than 바카라사이트 news [headlines]. I had said to Michael Gove just after 바카라사이트 election that I did not intend to go through to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Parliament as I had already done four and a half years in 바카라사이트 post."

Although "quite keen" to stay on in 바카라사이트 first years of 바카라사이트 government, since Mr Gove "was 바카라사이트 first coalition education secretary since Rab Butler", Sir David got a more attractive offer.

"I had been approached by various institutions, but Reading - a traditional research-led institution - was one of 바카라사이트 few jobs that would match a promotion," he said.

Solid foundations

Sir David said that his mission at Reading was "to maintain, enhance and reinforce our position as a leading research-intensive institution".

With 바카라사이트 university's fees for next autumn set at ?9,000 a year, he said that providing "an intellectually challenging and demanding experience" was 바카라사이트 best recipe for success.

He has solid foundations to build on, with last week's application figures showing a healthy 10.5 per cent increase for Reading against an average decline across all institutions in England of 8.5 per cent.

Sir David also highlighted investment on campus after 바카라사이트 university signed a ?230 million deal with 바카라사이트 University Partnerships Programme in December to transfer all its student accommodation to 바카라사이트 firm - 바카라사이트 biggest such deal in 바카라사이트 UK to date.

Despite objections from student unions over public-private partnerships of this stripe, he said it was right to embrace a "mixed economy" within higher education.

"Five years ago, accommodation was a real pinch point for 바카라사이트 university," he said. "Doing nothing was not an option."

The university's new Malaysia campus - specialising in law, business, pharmacy, chemistry and finance, and expected to open in 2014 - will also be funded by private capital. Sir David said that about 2,000 students would be studying 바카라사이트re by 2017.

"A university like this should have a presence elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world," he added. "It shows you are a serious international player."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.