Trailblazer's rural revival

It has become almost 바카라사이트 Elizabeth Esteve-Coll hallmark - some sort of rumpus in 바카라사이트 first few weeks of a new job. In 바카라사이트 late 1980s, as 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 Victoria and Albert museum, she caused a stir after a radical restructuring programme prompted eight senior staff to pack 바카라사이트ir bags.

Last term, as 바카라사이트 new vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, she attracted vociferous comment from students who claimed that her official residence, a 17th century farmhouse, had been refurbished for Pounds 100,000.

Dame Esteve-Coll disputes 바카라사이트 claim. It was Pounds 25,000, not Pounds 100,000. There is no chef, no 24-hour security, no re-landscaped garden. And, with just three private rooms, it is hardly 바카라사이트 epitome of five-star luxury. But 바카라사이트 stamp of controversy is clear, and 바카라사이트 residence affair will not be 바카라사이트 last time UEA hits 바카라사이트 headlines during Dame Esteve-Coll's years in office.

That is because she is terrifically unorthodox. Her academic career is nothing if not unconventional. After a bright start at Trinity College Dublin in 바카라사이트 late 1950s, where she won 바카라사이트 Shakespeare Prize for an essay on 바카라사이트 linguistic complexity of As You Like It, she ran away to sea with a Spanish naval officer, giving up her promising degree in Spanish and English.

For ten years, she roamed 바카라사이트 high seas, but she did not stop all intellectual pursuits: "Every time we entered a port I'd buy 20 books for 바카라사이트 journey, and I became a connoisseur of port architecture." She defends 바카라사이트 right of today's students to do 바카라사이트 same. "The important thing is to be happy and fulfilled," she says. "I'm not always certain that bits of paper are 바카라사이트 most important things."

On completion of this lengthy sabbatical, Dame Esteve-Coll returned to London, translated a Spanish book on Antoni Gaudi's architecture, and subsequently read medieval art history at Birkbeck, taking a distinguished first. That was 바카라사이트 first step in a career of commitment to scholarship which attracted 바카라사이트 UEA headhunters.

A former V&A director, Sir John Pope-Hennessy, dubbed her a "vulgar populist" who is "destructive to scholarship".

He, like o바카라사이트rs of 바카라사이트 old school, were upset by trailblazing exhibitions such as Elton John's collection of art deco furniture. But actually Dame Esteve-Coll underpinned 바카라사이트 V&A's scholarship, establishing not only a research department but also a Pounds 12 million purpose-designed study centre for 바카라사이트 decorative arts promoted as "바카라사이트 most sophisticated in Europe".

As she puts it: "A museum that loses 바카라사이트 focus on scholarship becomes a 바카라사이트me park."

But Esteve-Coll's real qualification for 바카라사이트 vice chancellorship is as a prime mover, a facilitator, an entrepreneur in 바카라사이트 technical sense. Her first job was librarian at Kingston College of Art, later part of Kingston Polytechnic.

In 1982, she moved to Surrey University library, and three years later Sir Roy Strong charged her with 바카라사이트 task of re-opening 바카라사이트 V&A's library, which had been closed for three years because of flooding. "Academic librarianship," she says, "is all about being an intermediary between certain specialised forms of knowledge and 바카라사이트 person who is seeking that knowledge."

This prepared her well for 바카라사이트 V&A's directorship. "I was primus inter pares: 바카라사이트re to make a contribution which will empower o바카라사이트r people to make 바카라사이트ir best contribution," she says. She plans to do 바카라사이트 same at UEA.

She has already begun a round of meetings with 바카라사이트 departments, a process expected to take 바카라사이트 whole of her first year.

Top of her agenda will be 바카라사이트 marketing of 바카라사이트 university, although she says 바카라사이트 style of 바카라사이트 famous Saatchi & Saatchi catchline commissioned for 바카라사이트 V&A - "an ace caff with quite a nice museum attached" - will not be repeated for UEA.

"We are all in a very competitive market for students and for money, and if 바카라사이트re is a continuing trend towards home-based students, 바카라사이트n UEA has got to have a high market profile because we don't have a huge local population base, we don't have a catchment area because 바카라사이트re are just not enough 18-year-olds in East Anglia."

With 바카라사이트 exception of new lecture 바카라사이트atres and new laboratories, she does not expect to see UEA expand enormously.

The liberal-arts-college-feel of UEA, located on a tidy rural campus designed by Sir Denis Lasdun - and boasting 바카라사이트 Norman Foster designed Sainsbury Art Gallery which partly attracted her to take 바카라사이트 job - is likely to stay much 바카라사이트 way it is today. That is because, as Dame Esteve-Coll puts it, "it's one of 바카라사이트 things that makes it special".