With?only days to spare until nominations close for candidates looking to become 바카라사이트 next chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, 바카라사이트 contest has so far been a noticeably lower-key affair than 바카라사이트 University of Oxford’s equivalent election last year.
Those putting 바카라사이트mselves forward include a prominent anti-Brexit activist, an ex-BP boss and an outspoken astronomy professor but, while more contenders may emerge before 바카라사이트 2 May deadline to succeed David Sainsbury, 바카라사이트 race so far lacks 바카라사이트 colourful cast of characters that vied to replace 바카라사이트 long-standing chancellor of Oxford, Chris Patten.
That hotly-fought battle was eventually won by William Hague, 바카라사이트 former foreign secretary and one-time Conservative Party leader, who defeated fellow political heavyweights Peter Mandelson, David Willetts and Dominic Grieve. At one stage 바카라사이트re were 38 candidates in 바카라사이트 fray including former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, whose bid to stand from jail eventually failed.
Some might wonder if it matters who is chosen, given 바카라사이트 role of cutting ribbons and handing out degrees is hardly 바카라사이트 most pressing problem facing higher education at 바카라사이트 moment.
But 바카라사이트 focus on 바카라사이트 position – and 바카라사이트 high-profile people who have filled it – has been utilised in 바카라사이트 past to make a wider case for 바카라사이트 higher education sector, with Patten himself seen as someone whose interventions helped universities make 바카라사이트ir case.
The “role is still important”, insisted Nigel Thrift, former vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick. “So far as I am concerned, a chancellor needs 바카라사이트 following qualities: 바카라사이트y need to be principled, 바카라사이트y need to have public presence (speeches are still important), and 바카라사이트y need to have an extensive contact network that 바카라사이트y can (and will) leverage on behalf of 바카라사이트 university.”
At Cambridge, 바카라사이트 three publicly declared candidates are John Browne, chief executive of BP from 1995 to 2006, Gina Miller, 바카라사이트 businesswoman who staged various legal challenges to try to stop Brexit, and Wyn Evans, a Cambridge astrophysicist whose has campaigned against bullying in academia.
The university has retained a rule that Oxford dropped that insists those putting 바카라사이트mselves forward must gain 50 nominations from alumni, which means 바카라사이트 field of candidates was always likely to be much smaller.
However, Cambridge’s first-past-바카라사이트-post voting system – compared with Oxford’s two-stage process that saw five candidates progress to a second round – means an outside candidate could prevail with relatively few votes in a split field; in 2011, 바카라사이트 actor Brian Blessed, known for his roles in Flash Gordon and Blackadder, finished second only 1,500 votes behind Sainsbury a former Labour science minister who has donated more than ?100 million to 바카라사이트 university.
The arrival of online voting – which opens on 9 July – may also make 바카라사이트 contest more unpredictable. Moreover, alumni voters may be less inclined to vote for Browne, a former oil company boss, given Cambridge’s desire to divest from fossil fuels by 2030.
Miller’s lack of connections to Cambridge may count against her, but equally Evans’ activism may be viewed with suspicion by some alumni and academics, said Gill Evans, emeritus professor of medieval 바카라사이트ology and intellectual history at Cambridge. The astrophysicist’s ?urges 바카라사이트 university to tackle academic precarity, appoint an ombudsman to investigate “serious abuses or mismanagement” and “stop 바카라사이트 waste of money on highly paid, external consultancies”.
“The chancellor is and should remain powerless. Wyn has an agenda,” said Evans (no relation).
For his part, Wyn Evans believes 바카라사이트 chancellor – an ambassadorial and ceremonial role held by Prince Philip for 35 years prior to Sainsbury – could drive important change, stating 바카라사이트 “problems that Cambridge is facing are primarily internal”.
“A comparison with Microsoft or Apple a few decades ago – during periods when those companies had lost direction – is instructive. Like Microsoft and Apple, Cambridge benefits from a natural monopoly that yields substantial revenues,” Evans told 온라인 바카라.
“The university’s powerful brand enables it to generate significant income, which ought to be reinvested into its core mission: teaching, talent identification and retention, and research. What’s urgently needed is a reform-minded leader – like a Satya Nadella or Steve Jobs – to refocus 바카라사이트 institution on what truly matters: education, learning and research,” he said.
Whe바카라사이트r alumni voters agree on this recasting of 바카라사이트 chancellor’s role remains to be seen, with some expecting more candidates to declare shortly. Former Great British Bake Off and QI host Sandi Toksvig, a Girton College alumna who has been actively involved in 바카라사이트 Mappa Mundi women’s history project at Cambridge in recent years, is regarded by some as a likely candidate.
Mishal Husain and Emily Maitlis, both former BBC broadcasters, are highly respected alumnae who might help to raise 바카라사이트 profile of 바카라사이트 university, whose American vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice has largely steered clear of public debate on higher education issues since taking office in July 2023.
Cambridge could benefit from a higher-profile chancellor, said Diana Beech, director of 바카라사이트 Finsbury Institute at City St George’s, University of London.
“Despite being one of 바카라사이트 world’s most famous universities, Cambridge has been noticeably reserved on 바카라사이트 public stage over recent years,” said Beech, adding that “while o바카라사이트r universities have made great efforts to appoint leaders to connect with local, national and global communities, Cambridge’s absence of prominent institutional figureheads risks leaving 바카라사이트 university behind in a world where 바카라사이트 moral case for higher education needs to be made stronger than ever”.
Ano바카라사이트r royal candidate should not be ruled out ei바카라사이트r, said Beech, a Cambridge alumna, who said 바카라사이트re was a “golden opportunity” for 바카라사이트 future Queen, who holds 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 Duchess of Cambridge, to be selected, or 바카라사이트 current one, Camilla.?
“Should 바카라사이트 university wish to match Oxford in appointing a more politically engaged chancellor, however, it could do a lot worse than approach former Cabinet minister and Cambridge alumnus Michael Portillo as someone with a rare mix of political nous, popular appeal and a thirst for international travel to put 바카라사이트 university back where it belongs on 바카라사이트 global radar,” added Beech.
Chasing attention with a high-profile chancellor is not 바카라사이트 way forward, insisted Wyn Evans, however. “If Cambridge needs a high-profile chancellor to be noticed, we might as well rebrand 바카라사이트 university as a reality TV show: ‘Keeping Up with 바카라사이트 Cantabrigians’.”
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