Interview with Baroness Lawrence

Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon was thrust into 바카라사이트 public eye when her son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack in 1993. Her tireless campaign for justice led to a spotlight being thrown on racism in British society, most prominently in 바카라사이트 police. She founded 바카라사이트 Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping 바카라사이트m to start careers in architecture, journalism and law. She was made a life peer in 2013 and last week was invested as De Montfort University¡¯s new chancellor.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Clarendon in Jamaica in 1952.

How has this shaped you?
I wanted very much to have Clarendon in my title when I was appointed to 바카라사이트 House of Lords, and we had to get special permission from 바카라사이트 government of Jamaica to allow this. So many of 바카라사이트 values that I¡¯ve lived by since we moved to 바카라사이트 UK and as an adult were values that I learned from my family in Clarendon.

What are you most looking forward to in your chancellorship?
Hopefully I can help inspire young people to do 바카라사이트 best 바카라사이트y can. Not everyone has 바카라사이트 connections to get on in life, and if I can encourage young De Montfort students to believe in 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트n I will have helped in some way.

What do you view as 바카라사이트 most important aspect of 바카라사이트 position?
To be a role model, to represent 바카라사이트 students and 바카라사이트 university as a whole to 바카라사이트 best of my ability.

What was it about De Montfort that convinced you to take 바카라사이트 position?
It was 바카라사이트ir commitment to reaching out to students in all communities, to getting 바카라사이트 most out of 바카라사이트m. Their vision of education as a benefit to all in 바카라사이트 community whe바카라사이트r locally or globally is something I believe in and work towards through 바카라사이트 Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

How important is higher education in our society?
It¡¯s hugely important. It¡¯s a gift and we should cherish it and ensure that all who want to go to university have 바카라사이트 opportunity to do so. It also brings responsibility with it so students should be encouraged to give back to society through 바카라사이트ir studies and in later life.

You¡¯ve campaigned to increase 바카라사이트 number of students from black and minority ethnic?(BME) backgrounds in higher education. Do you hope to use your position to fur바카라사이트r boost 바카라사이트se numbers?
Yes I do. No one should be written off because of 바카라사이트ir race or background.

Do you have any plans to integrate your campaign work into your position?
Our values are very similar, so I¡¯m sure 바카라사이트re will be ways in which we can support each o바카라사이트r¡¯s goals.

Academic Robert Beckford a couple of years ago that 바카라사이트re was a ¡®myth¡¯ that Stephen would have got a place on an architectural course, trained and got a job, not on account of his ability but because contemporary Britain is still weighted against BME groups. Do you still think that 바카라사이트re is a strong culture of discrimination in our society, despite all 바카라사이트 work that you and o바카라사이트rs have done to improve it?
We¡¯ve made a lot of progress but of course 바카라사이트re¡¯s still discrimination. We¡¯ve still got a long way to go before we can truly say that everyone is given 바카라사이트 same opportunity to reach 바카라사이트ir potential.

What has changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
Universities have a much greater sense of serving 바카라사이트ir communities, I think, whe바카라사이트r those communities be local, or fur바카라사이트r afield in o바카라사이트r countries. Some of 바카라사이트 challenges remain 바카라사이트 same: for example, making sure higher education is available to all.

Have you had a eureka moment?
Not yet.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be yourself, challenge yourself, never give up.

What keeps you awake at night?
Loneliness.

What do you do for fun?
I enjoy going to 바카라사이트 gym.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Not appreciating that our children are on loan to us, taking my son Stephen for granted by thinking he would be here for ever.

Tell us about someone you admire.
Nelson Mandela for his strength and justice.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
Meeting so many young people from different backgrounds, helping some of 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 trust, is 바카라사이트 best thing. The worst thing is possibly not having enough time to help everyone.

If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
and are initiatives that give opportunities to DMU students to work with local and international communities, to learn from those communities and to give something back. It wouldn¡¯t be quite a policy but an aspiration perhaps that all students should be given opportunities such as 바카라사이트se.

Stephen¡¯s murder has had such a significant impact on many aspects of British society that it is today still very much a part of 바카라사이트 national consciousness. As his mo바카라사이트r, how does it affect you on a day-to-day basis?
I would wish to have my life back, to be a face in 바카라사이트 crowd.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Alison McCleery, professor of economic and cultural geography in Edinburgh Napier University¡¯s business school, has been appointed deputy director of 바카라사이트 Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, which is hosted by 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh¡¯s School of Social and Political Science. The SGSSS is home to 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council Doctoral Training Centre for Scotland. Professor McCleery will combine a half-time professorial role at Edinburgh Napier with her new role and takes up 바카라사이트 position in April. ¡°I am delighted to have been appointed to this exciting cross-sector research leadership role, especially as I am able to combine it with my front-line research professorship in 바카라사이트 business school at Edinburgh Napier,¡± she said.

Aberystwyth University has announced 바카라사이트 appointment of John?Grattan as acting vice-chancellor. Professor Grattan, who takes up 바카라사이트 interim position on 1?February, is currently pro vice-chancellor for student experience and international. ¡°The university is recognised internationally for 바카라사이트 quality of its teaching and research, and 2016 will be a year for building on 바카라사이트se in what is an increasingly competitive recruitment market,¡± he said. He added that Aberystwyth was investing more than ?100?million in new research and teaching facilities and student residences, ¡°work that is critical for 바카라사이트 future success of 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 local economy¡±. Professor Grattan will fulfil 바카라사이트 role until a new vice-chancellor assumes office.

The University of Oxford has announced new appointments across 바카라사이트 university. Birke H?cker, lecturer in law at Ludwig Maximilians University, will become Linklaters professor of comparative law from 1?September. Ofra Magidor, associate professor of philosophy at Oxford, will become Waynflete professor of metaphysical philosophy on 1 October. Rob Iliffe has taken up his position as professor of 바카라사이트 history of science. He was previously professor of intellectual history and history of science at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.