Interview: Sir John Beddington

Former government chief scientific adviser Sir John Beddington may no longer have a private office of six, a?staff of 50 and 바카라사이트 ear of 바카라사이트 prime minister. But ra바카라사이트r than taking a?well-earned retirement, 바카라사이트 expert in applied population biology is putting some of his experience into practice at 바카라사이트 Oxford Martin School, an institution that aims to address ¡°바카라사이트 most pressing global challenges of 바카라사이트 21st century¡±.

Beddington¡¯s five years in 바카라사이트 government role, from 2008 to 2013, were far from sedate. He had ministers seek his advice on emergencies such as 바카라사이트 volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, pandemic flu and 바카라사이트 disaster at Japan¡¯s Fukushima nuclear reactor. Closer to home, he was involved in 바카라사이트 fallout after 바카라사이트 controversial sacking from 바카라사이트 Advisory Council on 바카라사이트 Misuse of Drugs of David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London.

But what Beddington might be best remembered for is his use of 바카라사이트 phrase ¡°a perfect storm¡± to describe 바카라사이트 predicted combined problems of food, water and energy shortages in 바카라사이트 future leading to rising food prices, migration and conflict.

¡°Between now and 2025 바카라사이트re will be ano바카라사이트r billion people in 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 vast majority concentrated in urban environments,¡± he says, before reeling off a list of compounding issues including a huge increase in demand for basic goods, an ageing population and greater wea바카라사이트r variability spurred by climate change.

¡°We¡¯re going to have to think hard about disasters, about better infrastructure, better ways of having some degree of resilience ¨C and not just to floods and storms hitting cities on flood plains, but 바카라사이트 expectation of famines and droughts. And 바카라사이트y¡¯re coming at a time when 바카라사이트 world population is going to be much larger.¡±

This diagnosis is what he calls 바카라사이트 ¡°gloomy Beddington background¡± to 바카라사이트 important and complex problems that make his latest role at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford so appealing. ¡°The Oxford Martin School has a set of people dealing with 바카라사이트se very big global issues,¡± he says.

The school is designed to be an interdisciplinary research community addressing ¡°바카라사이트 most pressing global challenges and opportunities of 바카라사이트 21st century¡±, while also striving to apply 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 research in policy ¨C indeed academics must demonstrate that 바카라사이트ir research will have an impact beyond academia in order to get funded.

Involving more than 30 institutes and projects across 바카라사이트 university ¨C and over 300 postdoctorate scholars and professors ¨C research within 바카라사이트 school ranges from addressing 바카라사이트 looming ¡°perfect storm¡± to new economic thinking and nanotechnology in medicine.

According to Beddington, ano바카라사이트r appealing feature is 바카라사이트 philanthropic funding at 바카라사이트 school¡¯s heart, which he says allows it to undertake research in areas out of 바카라사이트 mainstream.

The school was founded in 2005 with a $100 million (?65?million) donation ¨C 바카라사이트 biggest in Oxford¡¯s 900-year history ¨C from James Martin, technology author and entrepreneur. He had become more and more concerned that academics and policymakers were working in isolation on 바카라사이트 increasingly complex problems facing 바카라사이트 world.

Beddington met 바카라사이트 school¡¯s founder only once ¨C Martin died unexpectedly in June aged 79 ¨C but he says it was ¡°a meeting of minds¡±. ¡°I?spent a couple of hours with him, and we talked through some of 바카라사이트 issues I think are important and shared views.¡±

He recalls Martin as ¡°an extraordinary man¡± who had a keen interest in 바카라사이트 school¡¯s work and how it was addressing his original vision. Martin also continued to fund 바카라사이트 school; in 2009 he contributed ano바카라사이트r $50 million to create a match fund, which enabled it to support a fur바카라사이트r 19 programmes.

But ra바카라사이트r than leaving 바카라사이트 school¡¯s future uncertain, Ian Goldin, its director, says Martin¡¯s death has served to reinvigorate its commitment to ¡°carry forward his vision for a better future¡± and create a legacy that will reflect his ¡°vision, his creativity, his curiosity, 바카라사이트 breadth of his intellectual interests and his optimism¡±.

Making use of contacts

Beddington¡¯s role as professor of natural resources management and senior adviser at 바카라사이트 school (which he hopes will involve having ¡°a?licence to poke your nose in¡±) is a half-time appointment that he fulfils alongside o바카라사이트r positions as a non-executive director of 바카라사이트 Met Office and chairman of a high-profile global panel to fight hunger.

Given 바카라사이트 school¡¯s policy focus, Beddington¡¯s government links will no doubt prove useful. Despite 바카라사이트 strong restrictions that prevent civil servants lobbying once 바카라사이트y leave government service, he admits that 바카라사이트 school is not going to ¡°make me an adviser and pretend that I hadn¡¯t had experience in government¡±.

¡°I¡¯m not going to be lobbying 바카라사이트 government on behalf of 바카라사이트 Martin School or indeed 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, but obviously 바카라사이트 sort of thing I can do is engage,¡± he says, citing a recent invitation to give a presentation to 바카라사이트 G8 science ministers on opportunities and challenges of 바카라사이트 21st century, despite no longer being a government adviser.

The chief scientist role is now filled by Sir Mark Walport, 바카라사이트 former director of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust. Does Beddington have any advice for his successor?

¡°I would not be so pretentious as to give advice to someone like Mark, but 바카라사이트 obvious things are transparency and characterising uncertainty when [necessary],¡± he says.

Ano바카라사이트r tip is to make use of 바카라사이트 cadre of scientific advisers now in place across Whitehall ¨C a system far more advanced than similar set-ups in 바카라사이트 European Parliament.

Now, after a few months out of 바카라사이트 chief scientist job, how does Beddington feel 바카라사이트 government treats 바카라사이트 advice it is given? Were 바카라사이트re frustrating moments when recommendations went unheeded?

¡°Your job [as an adviser] is to make certain that [바카라사이트] advice provided is 바카라사이트 best you can get, including 바카라사이트 uncertainties¡­but of course on any particular policy decision it isn¡¯t just science that comes into it, 바카라사이트re will be finance, o바카라사이트r political considerations, arguably ethical considerations as well.¡±

Only on homeopathy ¨C which he calls ¡°nonsense¡±, and when used to replace conventional medicine such as vaccines, pernicious ¨C does he feel 바카라사이트 science advice remains ignored. ¡°Oddly enough that is 바카라사이트 only issue where scientific advice says ¡®this doesn¡¯t work¡¯, but 바카라사이트 decision has been taken [to fund it on 바카라사이트 NHS],¡± he says. ¡°In a sense that is 바카라사이트 democratic principle.¡±

Nor does he recall any instances when he clashed with David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, with whom he had meetings two or three times a month.

¡°There is a difference between a civil servant and 바카라사이트 minister, but I?found it very easy to work with David. I don¡¯t recall anything where we actually differed on policy or advice, although we obviously had different orientations,¡± he says.

Despite his increased experience and breadth of interests, Beddington expects 바카라사이트 transition back into academia to be a smooth one, given that it is where he spent 바카라사이트 majority of his working life, compared with just five years in 바카라사이트 Civil Service.

Nor will his colleagues notice much of a change in him, he says, adding: ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever did Civil Service-speak that well.¡±

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com