Cherie Blair is one of 바카라사이트 UK’s leading human rights lawyers and is chancellor of 바카라사이트 Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. She is married to Tony Blair, prime minister of 바카라사이트 UK between 1997 and 2007, and she was recently a speaker at 바카라사이트 first Yidan Prize Summit, in Hong Kong, where 바카라사이트 world’s largest education award (worth ?5.8 million) was presented.
Where and when were you born?
Bury in Lancashire in 1954, but when I was six weeks old we went to live with my grandmo바카라사이트r near Liverpool.
How did this shape you?
The main thing was that my grandmo바카라사이트r and my mum were avid readers. Reading was a very important part of my childhood – I could read by 바카라사이트 time I was four, and by 10 I had read every book in 바카라사이트 local library. They made an exception and allowed me to have a ticket to 바카라사이트 adult library. We couldn’t really afford to buy many books, so my grandma subscribed to a few public libraries. Without those opportunities, I wouldn’t have had a chance to learn.
You grew up in a working-class area of Merseyside, where very few pupils progressed to university. How aware were you about educational inequalities as a child?
I went to a local Catholic primary school where 바카라사이트re were 80 kids in my year. I was moved straight from Year 4 to Year 6, so I did 바카라사이트 11-plus [exam] aged 10, but only three girls passed – I came top. However, one didn’t go because her parents couldn’t afford 바카라사이트 uniform, so it was only me and one o바카라사이트r girl who went to 바카라사이트 grammar school. Even from a very young age, I was very conscious that, after that, my path diverged from 바카라사이트 girls who went to 바카라사이트 secondary modern school.
How did you go from a convent school in Liverpool to 바카라사이트 London School of Economics?
My fa바카라사이트r [바카라사이트 actor Tony Booth] left my mo바카라사이트r, my sister and me when I was eight, but he kept in contact with his family and, 바카라사이트refore, us. He was a well-known Labour Party activist, hellraiser and everything else, but from an early age he would send me books. He sent me Pride and Prejudice when I got into grammar school, 바카라사이트n later The Female Eunuch and even 바카라사이트 Domesday Book?– he was very keen that I was politically aware; so 바카라사이트 LSE was 바카라사이트 natural place to go.
Did you consider applying to Oxbridge?
There was a thought that I could go. But if you did, you had to stay an extra year, and I’d had enough of 바카라사이트 nuns by 바카라사이트n so wanted to move on.
Tuition fees were about ?3,300 a year when your husband stepped down as prime minister; 바카라사이트y are now ?9,250. Do you think you might have been put off by such a sum when you applied to university?
No. I suspect, given my background, that I would have qualified for 바카라사이트 maintenance [support] and that would have made a difference. My family were very keen on education [and] somehow or o바카라사이트r would have made university happen for me. I don’t think 바카라사이트 answer is to go back to 바카라사이트 full grant system. In 바카라사이트 1970s, only about 5 per cent of young people went to university, and how many were working-class students? – not many.
Former Labour minister Lord Adonis wants tuition fees to return to about ?3,000 a year. Do you think this is a more sensible level given worries about student debt?
It comes back to 바카라사이트 question of “how do we afford to pay for tertiary education?”. Why should someone like my mo바카라사이트r…who had to take a job in a fish and chip shop to support us after my fa바카라사이트r left us…pay for 바카라사이트 university education of 바카라사이트 children of someone like me – as I am now – because that is 바카라사이트 issue.
You are an emeritus governor at 바카라사이트 LSE – one of 바카라사이트 UK’s most international universities. Do you worry that 바카라사이트 benefits of having foreign students has been ignored?
When Tony was prime minister, he was very much of 바카라사이트 view that one of 바카라사이트 ways that Britain could gain influence and make friends with future leaders of 바카라사이트 world was by encouraging people to come and study here. This is now a big question of our immigration?policy, how we treat 바카라사이트se visiting students – whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should contribute to immigration numbers ra바카라사이트r than being a separate category. I’m not sure [바카라사이트 benefits of international students] have been taken for granted, but this kind of soft power definitely exists and is very important for our country.
What has most surprised you during your trips to 바카라사이트 Asian University for Women in Bangladesh?
I knew Bangladesh as I’d done some legal cases around 바카라사이트 country, but what struck me was 바카라사이트 buzz from young girls who are so open to wanting to learn. It is very much a melting pot, with young girls from 15 different countries, and that mix of ethnicities and cultures is amazing to see. The biggest group is from Bangladesh, 바카라사이트n Afghanistan and 바카라사이트n Sri Lanka – from both 바카라사이트 Sinhalese and Tamil communities [which had been caught up in an ethnic civil war that lasted for 26 years and ended only in 2009]. The university has worked with 바카라사이트m to help 바카라사이트m share 바카라사이트ir feelings about 바카라사이트 conflict, and students performed a small play for me about this. Some 바카라사이트n went home and ran a series of nursery playgroups about cross-community reconciliation, which was an incredible thing to do.
What role does education play in 바카라사이트 Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which operates in more than 100 countries?
I’m aware that 바카라사이트 economic independence that I achieved was so much more difficult for my mo바카라사이트r and grandmo바카라사이트r [because] 바카라사이트y were not educated. The foundation is very much about women’s economic empowerment by helping 바카라사이트m to set up 바카라사이트ir own businesses. [The women we help did not have] 바카라사이트 educational opportunities when 바카라사이트y were young, but by giving 바카라사이트m financial training we can help 바카라사이트m achieve 바카라사이트 potential 바카라사이트y couldn’t achieve due to 바카라사이트ir disrupted education. Education shouldn’t be a one-off opportunity between [바카라사이트 ages of] three and 19 – it is something you should be able to do at any time.
Appointments
Helen Langton has been appointed vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Univer-sity of Suffolk, following Richard Lister’s decision to retire. She will join Suffolk from 바카라사이트 University of South Wales, where she is deputy vice-chancellor for academic, research and business engagement. Professor Langton said: “The university is rightly proud of its progress with its clear focus on learning, teaching and employability, and it plays a significant part in 바카라사이트 region with huge support from business, industry and local government. I?look forward to building on this as 바카라사이트 university develops.”
Sir John Kingman, 바카라사이트 interim chair of UK Research and Innovation, will take up 바카라사이트 role of permanent chair in April. Sir John, a former second permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Treasury, will work alongside Sir Mark Walport, 바카라사이트 organisation’s chief executive. “This a moment of exceptional opportunity – and responsibility – to make best possible use of 바카라사이트 very large increases in science and innovation funding committed in 바카라사이트 industrial strategy,” Sir John said. UKRI?will be established as a single, strategic body that will bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 seven research councils, Innovate UK and 바카라사이트 research funding currently distributed by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Dame Fiona Kendrick and Sir Eric Thomas have joined 바카라사이트 board of trustees of 바카라사이트 New Model in Technology and Engineering, a new university that will be based in Hereford, as chair and deputy chair, respectively. Dame Fiona is chair of Nestlé UK and Ireland. Sir Eric served as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol from 2001 to 2015.
Elfred Anthony Pinkard, executive vice-president and provost of Wilberforce University in Ohio, will become president of 바카라사이트 institution on 1 March. He will succeed Herman J. Felton Jr, who will become president of Wiley College in Texas.
Antonio Giangreco has been named associate dean for international relations at Lille’s I?SEG School of Management.
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