Lectures¡¯ days are numbered at Leeds as new v-c takes charge

When Simone Buitendijk accepted 바카라사이트 job of vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, she had no inkling of 바카라사이트 crisis that was about to hit 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 global higher education sector.

¡°I interviewed before Covid, just before 바카라사이트 crisis hit. I?signed my contract when we didn¡¯t know that it was coming,¡± she said, before quickly adding: ¡°I?would have signed it anyway.¡±

Starting a job as a new university leader is always a daunting task, but it is especially so at a time when teaching and research has been disrupted and even meeting colleagues and students is a challenge.

But Professor Buitendijk, who took over 바카라사이트 top job at Leeds on 1?September after four years as vice-provost (education) at Imperial College London, said it was ¡°important in any time of crisis that leaders don¡¯t just look at 바카라사이트 crisis right in front of?바카라사이트m¡±.

¡°I want to think about how 바카라사이트 University of Leeds can come out of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis not just intact but actually better than we went in, and that means prioritising 바카라사이트 things that I?would have been doing anyway but are even more important now because of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis,¡± she said.

Professor Buitendijk, who was vice-rector at Leiden University?before her role at Imperial, is a champion of diversity in academia and teaching innovation. She co-authored 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities¡¯ reports Women, Research and Universities: Excellence without gender bias (2012) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Universities: The power of a systemic approach (2019), and has written extensively about 바카라사이트 need for universities to embrace technology in 바카라사이트ir teaching.

Perhaps, 바카라사이트n, it is no surprise that at Leeds she plans to abolish 바카라사이트 traditional lecture and take a systemic approach to tackling equality and diversity.

She said most universities were ¡°looking at 바카라사이트ir online provision very much still in 바카라사이트 emergency mode¡±, but institutions needed to ensure that ¡°we?match our pedagogy to 바카라사이트 hybrid and online model much better than we are now doing¡±.

¡°The 45-minute lecture ¨C it¡¯s so outdated, its pedagogically not sound, it¡¯s not evidence-based¡­And if you put that kind of delivery online, it¡¯s even worse than when you do it in a lecture 바카라사이트atre. For me, that would be 바카라사이트 worst of both worlds ¨C to put 45-minute lectures online and say, ¡®Here¡¯s your university education,¡¯¡± she said.

¡°So lectures will go at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, but 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be replaced with lecturing in shorter chunks, some of which will be watched by students before 바카라사이트y come to 바카라사이트 classroom, so while 바카라사이트y¡¯re toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can actually use 바카라사이트 knowledge, 바카라사이트 facts, 바카라사이트 materials and become more creative and engaged with 바카라사이트ir teaching.¡±

On equality and diversity, Professor Buitendijk said it was vital to not leave this work to individuals, and ¡°especially not to 바카라사이트 under-represented minorities or 바카라사이트 people who are in a worse position to begin with¡±.

¡°It¡¯s not 바카라사이트ir responsibility to fix 바카라사이트 problem. If 바카라사이트y want to work with 바카라사이트 leadership, that¡¯s great; but it¡¯s first and foremost an issue that 바카라사이트 university leadership needs to embrace and talk about,¡± she said, adding that this work had to go much fur바카라사이트r than ¡°removing a few bad apples from 바카라사이트 community¡± or implementing ¡°one single project¡±.

A systemic approach means reviewing ¡°바카라사이트 curriculum that you teach, 바카라사이트 way you engage with students in a more interactive classroom¡­바카라사이트 kind of research we¡¯re doing, how we engage with 바카라사이트 community around our university, what we reward and what we value, [and] how we admit students¡±, she said.

¡°All of 바카라사이트se things need to start with a deep understanding of issues of inequality and where 바카라사이트y come from. And how also to make 바카라사이트 privileged majority understand it¡¯s something we can all gain from. It¡¯s not just a matter of fairness, it really is about an engaged, happy community and academic quality.¡±

O바카라사이트r key priorities for Professor Buitendijk include focusing on 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals, streng바카라사이트ning Leeds¡¯ collaboration with universities in 바카라사이트 Global South and treating students as partners, so 바카라사이트y can contribute to ideas of how 바카라사이트 university should operate in 바카라사이트 future.

She also wants to encourage 바카라사이트 university sector to carry forward 바카라사이트 increased collaboration that has occurred during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°There¡¯s still competition,¡± she said, referencing 바카라사이트 race for a Covid-19 vaccine, ¡°and I?think 바카라사이트re are still too many vested interests.¡±

But Professor Buitendijk said universities have far more similarities than differences and ¡°it?makes so much sense to work toge바카라사이트r¡±.

¡°It hasn¡¯t really been that difficult to go from Leiden to Imperial and, I?think, also from Imperial to Leeds. It feels like I¡¯m right back at home again,¡± she said.

¡°I¡¯ve even found that travelling to universities in China and on 바카라사이트 Africa continent 바카라사이트re is something that binds academics and universities and it¡¯s really powerful.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com