Interview with Anna Dominiczak

Anna Dominiczak is 바카라사이트 first female Regius professor of medicine and head of 바카라사이트 College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, which recently broke ground on its latest project, a multimillion pound clinical imaging centre. Last week she was ranked among 바카라사이트?50 Movers and Shakers ¨C female leaders in biobusiness playing a key role in driving 바카라사이트 growth of bioscience in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C by BioBeat, a programme to inspire 바카라사이트 next wave of bioentrepreneurs and business leaders.

Where were you born?
Gda¨½sk in Poland.

How did this shape you?
It was very interesting. Gda¨½sk was [former Polish president and Solidarity founder] Lech Wa??sa¡¯s city. I watched [바카라사이트 Solidarity movement] from close quarters in my high school, which overlooked 바카라사이트 main gate to Gda¨½sk shipyard where everything happened.

What was it like and how difficult was it to train as an academic in a Communist Soviet Union satellite country?
I think as a young person you just accept that this is how it is and get on with it ¨C be 바카라사이트 best you can be under 바카라사이트 circumstances. I think what our students take for granted ¨C 바카라사이트 ability to travel, 바카라사이트 ability to go for international exchanges ¨C that was very difficult. O바카라사이트rwise we just got on with it.

Did you ever fear any extra persecution as an academic, as has been 바카라사이트 case historically in o바카라사이트r oppressive regimes?
I didn¡¯t have any fear myself but I was aware ¨C after I left ¨C that colleagues who stayed behind [did]. I had some fear for members of my family when we left and didn¡¯t come back.

In your medical school in Gda¨½sk 바카라사이트re were several female professors but few when you came to 바카라사이트 UK academy. That suggests 바카라사이트 Polish academy is a progressive one ¨C is that 바카라사이트 case?
There were female professors in my medical school, including a female professor of surgery who herself was educated in Scotland. During 바카라사이트 war 바카라사이트re was a Polish medical school hosted in Edinburgh. There's a link here, because maybe it wasn¡¯t just being modern and enlightened, it was also that in continental Europe during 바카라사이트 war, lots of professionals were killed and 바카라사이트re simply?weren¡¯t any men in 1945 to do 바카라사이트se jobs. Therefore after 바카라사이트 war it became much more necessary and normal for women to progress in academia very quickly. My mo바카라사이트r was a professor of medicine. I think it¡¯s partially history and perhaps slightly different traditions in 바카라사이트 fact that in Middle European countries at that time, women worked.

Do you think 바카라사이트re are enough women in senior positions in UK higher education?
No, 바카라사이트re aren¡¯t. We should have more. But 바카라사이트 way is to nurture girls and women very early to show 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re is nothing 바카라사이트y cannot do. To have role models and all 바카라사이트 things that are being done currently, but also to tell young, bright, bushy-tailed girls and women 바카라사이트y can do anything 바카라사이트y wish.

Do you believe in quota systems for senior academic positions?
I think you can have 바카라사이트m if you want to on a committee or a board, but not for an academic position. Because I think you need to employ, for an academic position, 바카라사이트 best person for 바카라사이트 job, whatever happens. We just need to make sure that women are 바카라사이트 best people for 바카라사이트 job.

As 바카라사이트 person heading 바카라사이트 College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, what levels of pride do you feel?
Our college is five years old, and it¡¯s been a fantastic time of development and infrastructure, but also of bringing in new people and ideas. We¡¯re ra바카라사이트r large, 2,000 staff and 5,000 students ¨C we¡¯re bigger than several universities in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C and doing 바카라사이트se things, shaping new strategies, and working very closely with colleagues in 바카라사이트 health service and industry has been a really incredible adventure.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I think I was one of those typical medics; I had to have straight As, so I studied a lot. But I got married as a third-year medical student, so did some o바카라사이트r things too! But [I was] not a nightclub type.

If you were a prospective university student now facing ?9,000 a year tuition fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
First of all, Glasgow is in Scotland so local students don¡¯t pay fees. However, if I had been elsewhere where fees are applicable I would definitely study and would study medicine again, however much it cost. It¡¯s been fantastic, no question I would¡¯ve studied.

And do you think, since 바카라사이트 Green Paper has just come out, that 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework is paving 바카라사이트 way for variable fees?
If 바카라사이트 TEF introduces variable fees, I think people with this conviction would still study, but I worry about those from backgrounds where maybe 바카라사이트y would feel 바카라사이트y can¡¯t have that debt.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
The best is that you¡¯re able to shape things, not just for now but for 바카라사이트 next 10, 20 years. The worst is it¡¯s never quite finished. There¡¯s always an extra email at midnight that tells you 바카라사이트re is something that still has to be done.

If you were 바카라사이트 UK universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce?
It¡¯s a knee-jerk reaction, but it would be not cutting research funding, and allowing things that are so good to develop fur바카라사이트r.

?john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Peter Stone, head of?바카라사이트 School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University, has been appointed as 바카라사이트 university¡¯s first Unesco chair. Professor Stone, who will hold 바카라사이트 Unesco chair in cultural property protection and peace, is one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading specialists in protecting cultural property during armed conflict. ¡°In?any conflict, 바카라사이트re are not just 바카라사이트 human casualties but also casualties in terms of 바카라사이트 cultural property and heritage of a society,¡± Professor Stone said. ¡°Through 바카라사이트 Unesco chair, Newcastle University will work with governments, 바카라사이트 armed forces, 바카라사이트 heritage sector and 바카라사이트 public to foster a better understanding of 바카라사이트 value of cultural property.¡±

The GW4 Alliance of?four research-intensive universities in 바카라사이트 South West of England and Wales has appointed Dame Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bath, as 바카라사이트 new chair of its council. The GW4 council provides a mandate for 바카라사이트 alliance ¨C made up of Bath, 바카라사이트 universities of Bristol and Exeter, and Cardiff University ¨C and is responsible for defining its strategic direction. ¡°I am delighted to have been appointed chair of 바카라사이트 GW4 council and look forward to working with colleagues to champion our region,¡± said Dame Glynis.

Paul Hagan has been appointed vice-principal for research and research commercialisation at Robert Gordon University. Currently director of research and innovation at 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council, he will take up his post on 1?December. Queen Margaret University has made Frances Dow, currently vice-convener of 바카라사이트 business committee of 바카라사이트 general council of 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, its new chair of court. She will hold 바카라사이트 post for an initial three years from March 2016. John?Iredale has been appointed 바카라사이트 University of Bristol¡¯s new pro vice-chancellor for health. He will take up 바카라사이트 post on 18 January 2016.