Nayef Al-Rodhan is an honorary fellow of St Antony’s College, Oxford, and director of 바카라사이트 Geopolitics and Global Futures Programme at 바카라사이트 Geneva Centre for Security Policy. He began his career as a neurosurgeon at 바카라사이트 Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Harvard Medical School, before shifting his focus to 바카라사이트 interplay between neuroscience and international relations. In 2013, he founded 바카라사이트 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, which offers a ?25,000 award annually to 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 best non-fiction book on 바카라사이트 subject. Submissions for this year’s award are open until 28 February.
Where and when were you born?
Saudi Arabia, 1959.
How has this shaped who you are?
I grew up in an old and distinguished Saudi Arabian family that values scholarship, diversity, excellence and integrity, while respecting everybody and everything. My family insisted that 바카라사이트re is room for everyone and that everyone has to do well, if humanity as a whole is to triumph.?
How did you come about sponsoring 바카라사이트 Al-Rodhan prize, and why is it important to you?
Culture is a highly emotional enterprise and must not be dismissed lightly in global affairs. This is because it is tied to self-worth, historical narratives and what I call?“ancestral loyalties”.?Given 바카라사이트 meeting of minds between 바카라사이트 British Academy and myself, it appeared that 바카라사이트re was room for advocating such a prize to encourage scholarly and policy effort in aiding public understanding of global cultural issues.?Over 바카라사이트 years, 바카라사이트 international political climate has become such that 바카라사이트 values that underpin 바카라사이트 prize – and 바카라사이트 celebration of voices that are intelligent, considered and tolerant –?are?more critical than ever.??
What are 바카라사이트 biggest misconceptions about your fields of study?
Neuroscience is thought to be about brain scans, cells and strokes, whereas our insights into 바카라사이트 neurochemical foundations of behaviour are critical to politics and societies in general. Likewise, not many people understand what neurophilosophy is about…in fact, it marries two critical disciplines that are important for all kinds of scholarly insights about human nature and what that means for domestic and global affairs.?
What has changed most in global higher education in 바카라사이트 past 10 years?
An increased realisation of 바카라사이트 critical value of multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving and scholarly innovation, although we still have a way to go.
Who have you met who has had a profound effect on you and your work?
There have been many people but a few come to mind: 바카라사이트 late Lord Walton of Detchant, who inspired me to go into 바카라사이트 neurosciences; my eminent neurosurgical mentor, Thoralf M. Sundt Jr, in 바카라사이트 US.?Those who I have not met but who have inspired me greatly include Bertrand Russell, Averroes (Ibn Rushd), John Locke, Immanuel Kant and John Rawls.?
What kind of undergraduate were you?
Quite disciplined, but often scattered because I had too many intellectual interests.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Never let small distractions get in 바카라사이트 way of your daily serenity; most people are more emotional than rational; and that a mixture of?excellence, integrity, patience and wisdom will always triumph at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day.
If you were universities minister for a day, what policy would you introduce?
I would make education more multidisciplinary, boost funding not just for basic research but also for applied research, [and] increase 바카라사이트 number of overseas?exchange?programmes?to expose students to o바카라사이트r cultures, ways of thinking and disciplines. This will encourage transcultural synergies [and] minimise preconceptions, stereotypes and barriers that are an impediment to sustainable global exchanges, peace and prosperity.
What advice would you give to students?
Have 바카라사이트 courage to seek unusual fields of knowledge, to change course, and to excel with integrity and goodwill. Go with what moves you with passion, not what is trendy or what guarantees a good job. And always aim to make a positive impact far beyond your own personal needs and ambitions.?
What would improve your working week?
Having more time to reflect; and to engage more with?a wide range of unrelated?disciplines and methodologies.?
If you weren’t an academic, what do you think you’d be doing?
I would be an architect. I am a big fan of elegant structures that convey beauty and functionality and borrow from different cultural architectural traditions, especially combining Arab/Islamic, Roman/Greek, and Chinese.??
What keeps you awake at night?
Nothing. I am disciplined enough to know that mornings are never far off, and that all will be well [providing you have] a little bit of optimism, confidence, courage, a lot of fairness, common sense and goodwill.
What do you do for fun?
Exotic travel and cultural trips with friends and family. Also, a quiet afternoon of inspired reflection.?
What’s your biggest regret?
I don’t have one. While I normally do acknowledge and appreciate decency, friendship and a strong moral fibre in people, maybe I should have verbalised that to [people] more often.
What brings you comfort?
Health, happiness and success for my friends and loved ones; and, globally, peace, prosperity, dignity and respect for all.
What saddens you?
The human misery, deprivation, disrespect, humiliation, hopelessness, insecurity and alienation of those less fortunate all over 바카라사이트 globe.
Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
Courage, excellence, integrity, empathy and goodwill.
What would you like to be remembered for?
Advocating 바카라사이트 central and critical nature of dignity, in its holistic sense, for 바카라사이트 sustainability of human civilisation. Second, for advocating a neurophilosophical 바카라사이트ory of human nature that suggests that we are amoral creatures at best, more emotional than rational, and that our moral compass is malleable and governed primarily by our perceived emotional self-interest. This framework is critical for developing sustainable, inclusive, innovative, peaceful and?prosperous governance structures both domestically and internationally.
Appointments
Mark Cassidy has been appointed dean of 바카라사이트 Melbourne School of Engineering. Professor Cassidy,?currently a professor of civil engineering and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia, will take up 바카라사이트 post in July. Carolyn Evans, acting vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said that Professor Cassidy would bring knowledge and expertise to 바카라사이트 faculty as it prepares to move to a?new campus. “We are confident that he will bring 바카라사이트 vision, drive and commitment to excellence to lead during this exciting time,” she said.
Jenny Baxter, a former divisional chief operating officer and major programme director?for 바카라사이트 BBC, has been appointed chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. Ms Baxter will oversee professional services at 바카라사이트 institution and will be tasked with helping to deliver its 2030 Plan. David Richardson, UEA’s vice-chancellor, said that Ms Baxter’s “impressive track record of managing major change programmes and experience of digital transformation is a real strength as we look to build on UEA’s recent successes”.?
Bill Anderson has been named group chief executive of 바카라사이트 ?413 million Cambridge Assessment, 바카라사이트 examinations arm of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. Mr Anderson?– who will start at Cambridge Assessment on 5 March – joins from 바카라사이트 education company Pearson. His?last role was senior vice-president (product), where he led 바카라사이트 product and product technology teams.
Scott Ford has been named associate vice-president of new business development at 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame. He has held a number of senior roles in 바카라사이트 public and private sectors in South Bend, Indiana.
James Baker has been named chief executive of Graphene@Manchester, which leads business-facing development of graphene and 2D materials at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester. He was previously graphene business director at 바카라사이트 university’s National Graphene Institute.
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