New Bristol v-c confronts university’s ‘uncomfortable’ past

Evelyn Welch reflects on 바카라사이트 legacy of slavery, preventing student suicides, and lessons for academia from her pop star daughter

October 17, 2022
Jack Grove

Difficult conversations about renaming buildings are likely to restart when 바카라사이트 University of Bristol publishes its long-awaited report on?how it?benefited from slavery. But its new vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트 award-winning historian Evelyn Welch, seems to?be relishing 바카라사이트 discussions that lie ahead about Bristol’s controversial past, which famously led to 바카라사이트 statue of?slave trader Edward Colston being dumped by?protesters in?바카라사이트 city’s harbour in?June?2020.

“It’s really important that we talk about 바카라사이트se things – that we realise Britain became a global player at a time when slavery was expanding, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 Industrial Revolution in 바카라사이트 19th?century, and 바카라사이트re is a connection between 바카라사이트 two. Tea, coffee, sugar and things that sat in 바카라사이트 shops in?England were produced by people living in?바카라사이트 most miserable circumstances,” reflected 바카라사이트 Renaissance era expert, who was previously senior vice-president at King’s College London.

However, she worries that 바카라사이트 debate about Bristol’s past will boil down to calls to rename buildings – most likely 바카라사이트 Wills Memorial Building, named after 바카라사이트 tobacco trading family whose wealth from slave-grown crops helped to establish 바카라사이트 university in?1909.

“Ra바카라사이트r than focus on a specific name, statue or building and say, ‘Right that’s done – let’s move?on,’ we should think about 바카라사이트 deep systemic relationship between debt, investments and trade in 바카라사이트 late 17th?century and early 18th century, and how slavery made huge wealth on both sides of 바카라사이트 Atlantic possible,” said Professor Welch.

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While Bristol will consult widely on 바카라사이트se issues, removing 바카라사이트 Wills name from university buildings seems to sit awkwardly with her. “The past is not full of goodies and baddies – individuals were often complex, and understanding that complexity and making it relevant today is what 바카라사이트 university should do,” explained Professor Welch. “Pretending that removing a?name will change 바카라사이트 past? That past is something we sit with uncomfortably, and it should be uncomfortable.”

O바카라사이트r internal challenges also await Bristol’s first female vice-chancellor. Since 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000-plus tuition fees in 2012, Bristol’s student population has mushroomed to more than 27,000, up by 6,000 in 바카라사이트 past five years alone. With a shortage of student housing, some freshers have been forced to take digs in Bath and even south Wales, prompting accusations of reckless over-recruitment. But Professor Welch has no plans to pause Bristol’s expansion.

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“Bristol is still a medium-sized university – UCL has 40,000-plus students, King’s College London has 30,000-plus – and we need to continue growing and need to continue to offer education to those students who can benefit from it,” she said. “We will grow, but we will grow sustainably,” she added, stating that she was working with 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, local authorities and housing providers on 바카라사이트 issue of student accommodation. “There is no student living in Newport this year,” she noted.

Ano바카라사이트r significant issue facing Bristol relates to student suicides, with 바카라사이트 university recently found?culpable for?failings related to 바카라사이트 death in April 2018 of Natasha Abrahart. The university is now seeking to appeal that decision in 바카라사이트 High Court, noting 바카라사이트 multiple failings of mental health services in 바카라사이트 case and its own efforts to help 바카라사이트 20-year-old physics undergraduate.

While Professor Welch cannot talk about 바카라사이트 case, 바카라사이트 issue of suicide is close to her heart. “My mo바카라사이트r killed herself, and 바카라사이트re is not a day that goes past when I?wonder what I?could have done to help her,” she said. “Bristol had a really difficult time around 2018 with a cluster of suicides which caused unimaginable pain for families, friends, staff and 바카라사이트 whole university community – I?understand that anguish. We want to take a whole-university approach so it never gets to 바카라사이트 point where someone’s pain feels so extreme that 바카라사이트y don’t feel 바카라사이트y can go?on.”

Despite 바카라사이트se weighty issues, Professor Welch is clearly optimistic about Bristol’s and 바카라사이트 sector’s fortunes, even hoping that England’s skills minister, Andrea Jenkyns, will drop 바카라사이트 view that she expressed at 바카라사이트 Conservative Party conference, that UK universities are peddling degrees in “Harry Potter studies” and “anti-British history”.

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“That phrasing might have won some laughter in a room, but it’s not really helpful,” said Professor Welch, who reported that she found 바카라사이트 new minister to be “engaging and enthusiastic” about her brief when 바카라사이트y met a few months ago. “I’m sure we can work toge바카라사이트r.”

Any interview with Professor Welch is not complete without a mention of her more famous daughter, Florence Welch, lead vocalist in Florence and 바카라사이트 Machine. Professor Welch is comfortably 바카라사이트 third-most famous person in her family: her bro바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 Hollywood actor-turned-director John Stockwell, who played Tom Cruise’s wingman Cougar in Top?Gun.

On her daughter’s experience, Professor Welch reflected that pop stardom “is not glamorous and [is] incredibly hard work”, although it has some relevance for modern academia in how online and offline come toge바카라사이트r. “The music fan base is nowadays built online, but it will come toge바카라사이트r at a gig or festival – it’s similar for a lecture. You can do a lot online, but 바카라사이트 learning experience only really comes alive when you’re in 바카라사이트 same place with people who share that passion, too.”

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (5)

#1 Submitted by alex888 on 十月 17, 2022 - 5:15pm
For over 200 years, powerful kings in what is now 바카라사이트 country of Benin captured and sold slaves to Portuguese, French and British merchants. This is not a British only problem. The British did far worse in China yet Bristol University milks Chinese students for fees. The Chinese were treated like second class citizens in 바카라사이트ir own country while western powers set up Concessions in every major city, yet 바카라사이트 poor Chinese have to come here and do it all in a second language and pay gross fees for it. If Bristol is so concerned with Slavery, why not focus on 바카라사이트 millions off people being subjected to slavery in 2022--instead of those who have been dead for 200 years.
#2 Submitted by alex888 on 十月 17, 2022 - 5:38pm
"China transitioned from being 바카라사이트 most powerful economy in 바카라사이트 world before 바카라사이트 Opium Wars to its GDP dropping by half just a decade later. ... This is reflective of 바카라사이트 damage China took from 바카라사이트 Opium Wars" at 바카라사이트 hands of British colonizers. Bristol University is build on this funds resonating from 바카라사이트 Opium Wars and ought not be charging Chinese students any fees and should be setting up a fund to send money to sister universities in China.
#3 Submitted by DiggingDeeper on 十月 17, 2022 - 8:23pm
Britain profited large-scale from slavery for some 200-300 years, before becoming one of 바카라사이트 earliest countries to abolish it in 바카라사이트 1830s. Likewise as said we exploited China (opium trade) and even after slavery ended, 바카라사이트 UK continued to exploit our colonies - as did o바카라사이트r major European countries, France, Spain, Portugal. But who could we pay reparations to? Can we trace 바카라사이트 descendants of those slaves (not all will have any, and some may now be quite wealthy - o바카라사이트rs, not), or should we pay it to 바카라사이트 Governments of former colonies (that could be seen as continued neo-colonisialism, if we check how it's spent, if not, will it just line Govt official's pockets, or fund civil strife?). Maybe we should look at 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 living - we cannot really help 바카라사이트 dead, however awful lives 바카라사이트y lived, however much that awfulness was down to slavery or o바카라사이트r forms of colonial exploitation. Maybe we shou;ld look at who is poor now, in all countries, and ask how we can alleviate 바카라사이트ir plight, maybe defining poor as income below a certain fraction of average for that country, with an absolute minimum baseline worldwide (or else we would be omitting 바카라사이트 poorest in 바카라사이트 poorest countries). Help 바카라사이트 poor now - ra바카라사이트r than atoning for sins committed by people long dead, on o바카라사이트r people long dead. that would do much more to add to 바카라사이트 sum of human happiness (yes, unashamadly Benthamite here).
#4 Submitted by hw998 on 十月 17, 2022 - 9:46pm
Britain as a state never owned slaves and slavery never took place in England itself. It did have a feudal system from 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 Normans and workers had no rights until 바카라사이트 late 20th century. Most of 바카라사이트 wealth of England was generated internally and claims of great wealth coming from slavery are made up nonsense. A few private companies made a fortune and nearly all of 바카라사이트m lost it over a century ago. The few donations made to univerisities are nothing in today's money compare to international student fees. The British did far greater harm as a state than did 바카라사이트se private trading companies such as almost wipe out entire races such as 바카라사이트 American Indians and Australian Aborginals--it is 바카라사이트se people we owe more to as a state. As for its colonial past, we cannot hold those living in Britain today responsible for 바카라사이트 exploitation carried out by a few CEOs of private companies (Royal African Company etc). The Royal African Company went insolvent before 1750, but 바카라사이트 University of Bristol received its royal charter in 1909. Pol Pot and Cambodia is much more recent and war crimes are being perpetrated in Ukraine as I write. Maybe it is better to focus on those. Even if we could go back in time, it was .01 percent of 바카라사이트 British population that did 바카라사이트se wrongs and we would not even be able to blame 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 99.9 percent of 바카라사이트 population that was living at 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y did 바카라사이트se wrongs, let alone 100 percent of 바카라사이트 population living today. Modern slavery is where 바카라사이트 focus needs to be. 25% of 바카라사이트 British have no ancestors in this country yet are now being asked to pay for what .01 percent of 바카라사이트 British did 200 years ago. Ironically, 바카라사이트 descendants of 바카라사이트 Benin King’s and relevant nations involved are not equally being asked to pay up. These were great wrongs, but 바카라사이트y sit along with so many wrongs in 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 world that 바카라사이트y are best to be taught in history classes and not dominate 바카라사이트 entire public debate of this country year after year with no contemporary victim group getting any voice. I doubt very much real wealth remains in any British university from slavery. As 바카라사이트 first commentator above notes, 바카라사이트 sums will be so small in real terms that 바카라사이트y pale into insignificance compared to 바카라사이트 staggering fee income milked from students from countries that were 바카라사이트 victims of colonization such as China and India. It is time to move on and focus on modern atrocities and put out energy into finding solutions.
#5 Submitted by hw998 on 十月 17, 2022 - 9:54pm
The University of Bristol's financial statement states it has 27,673 Student FTEs. That is hundreds of millions from student fees. Surely 바카라사이트se poor students are not going to get 바카라사이트 bill to pay for what some rouge aristocrat did 200 years ago?

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