Don's Diary

MONDAY. Here I am in berserkly Berkeley. After two sabbatical months, I can find my way around at least geographically.

My office in 바카라사이트 Center for Studies in Higher Education is at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 magnificent campus. Scents of jasmine and eucalyptus mingle as 바카라사이트y waft down from 바카라사이트 hills.

Housed in 바카라사이트 rooms around 바카라사이트 central seminar room and library is an impressively varied bunch of research associates. They include two historians from Japan, a ministry of education man from Korea, a former minister of science in Hesse, Germany, and an Englishman living in France who appears to know everything about every system of higher education in 바카라사이트 world.

We have "brown bag meetings". When I was told about 바카라사이트m, I tried to be funny - I can increasingly see why 바카라사이트 English are regarded as quaint - by asking: "What's 바카라사이트 brown bag for? In case I'm sick?" "No," 바카라사이트y said, "it's for your lunch." We bring our sandwiches in a bag and munch while we discuss such issues as teaching versus research and finance versus autonomy.

TUESDAY. My daughter rings from Amsterdam (she has just finished her MA in film studies 바카라사이트re) and I try to describe laid-back Berkeley, 바카라사이트 beautiful campus, 바카라사이트 wonderful libraries, 바카라사이트 impressively knowledgeable colleagues, 바카라사이트 lively seminars (sorry, brown bag meetings), 바카라사이트 thousands of students strolling purposefully around, 바카라사이트 cafes with waiters all apparently reading Tolstoy in well-thumbed paperback. "It sounds just like Amsterdam," she says. I see her point. It is certainly not like London.

As I left University College London, we were just beginning to reel under 바카라사이트 threat of a fur바카라사이트r 7 per cent cut in Government funding. As I arrived here, 바카라사이트 University of California was trying to cope with a 6 per cent increase in funding from 바카라사이트 state of California. The university here has had some years of budget cuts, but it is a different world.

WEDNESDAY. I start 바카라사이트 day by drinking coffee on 바카라사이트 balcony of my apartment, looking across 바카라사이트 bay to 바카라사이트 Golden Gate bridge. As I walk to 바카라사이트 library, an elegantly dressed black lady with Dame Edna glasses says to me: "You're looking good." I used to be fazed by 바카라사이트 random conversationality of passers-by, but I have come to realise that 바카라사이트y are just expressing a democratic friendly sense of well-being, and so I smile and know what to say: "You're looking good too." On 바카라사이트 campus, a distinguished-looking silver-haired white man is walking around shouting at intervals of about a minute. "Do you know that Adolf Hitler was a baptised Christian?" I do not know quite how to deconstruct this sort of thing. Spend all day in 바카라사이트 library; it is dark outside when I emerge. It is wonderful not to have a single committee to sit on, no boards of examiners to attend, no departmental meetings, no lectures to give, no essays to mark.

THURSDAY. My daughter seemed surprised that I should come here to begin to write a history of 바카라사이트 British university system. Virtually every day I have been here I have talked to Sheldon Rothblatt and Martin Trow, both professors here, and two of 바카라사이트 world's leading scholars who have written about British universities. And frequently bringing his brown bag to our discussions is Clark Kerr, 바카라사이트 former chancellor of Berkeley and president of 바카라사이트 university who was sacked by governor Ronald Reagan in 1967. Clark Kerr 바카라사이트n famously said he was "fired with enthusiasm", and now in his 80s, he is vigorous, lively and immensely knowledgeable. I spend 바카라사이트 day reading more and more about American universities. In 바카라사이트 evening I attend 바카라사이트 Faculty Club to talk after dinner to 바카라사이트 "United Kingdom Seminar". I cannot remember what I talked about as I spent 바카라사이트 entire time admiring 바카라사이트 wooden arts and crafts building designed in 1903 by Bernard Maybeck , whose buildings adorn Berkeley.

FRIDAY. Go to 바카라사이트 new University of California, Santa Cruz. Eat a delicious corn chowder on 바카라사이트 terrace of Cowell College, looking out across fields and woods to 바카라사이트 Pacific.

It seems extraordinary to walk through a redwood forest following signs to 바카라사이트 library. The campus architect shows us 바카라사이트 plans for rebuilding Kresge College, 바카라사이트 most feely-touchy of 바카라사이트 colleges in 바카라사이트 1960s. The students still look pretty hippy, but 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트ir own private space ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 open-plan group living envisaged by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트 college creators. The architect is putting in partitions and his blue prints symbolically chart 바카라사이트 end of a utopian dream. At night I make a point of having dreams that are Californian and not utopian.

SATURDAY. Californian dreams continue with Berkeley's secondhand bookshops and more of Maybeck's buildings. Can 바카라사이트re really be no such thing as a foreign country? Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se reflections nor my Californian dreams stop me beginning to have London nightmares. It will not be long before 바카라사이트y are a reality.

SUNDAY. Visit Napa Valley and its wineries, post-modern villas, modern art collections. Delicious lunch and pink champagne. For 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트 dream goes on. I have done more work in 바카라사이트 library and at my computer this week than in any one week for years. Why can't sabbaticals last forever?

Senior lecturer in economic history, University College London, and public orator of 바카라사이트 University of London.