Interview with Elizabeth Kiss

Elizabeth Kiss is president of Agnes Scott College, in Georgia in 바카라사이트 US. She was recently appointed 바카라사이트 next warden of Rhodes House at 바카라사이트?University of Oxford. It is 바카라사이트 home of 바카라사이트 Rhodes Trust, which offers postgraduate scholarships to exceptional students from around 바카라사이트 world. Professor Kiss studied at?Davidson College, in North Carolina, before becoming a Rhodes scholar and reading philosophy at Oxford. Her research focuses on moral and political philosophy.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in an immigrant neighbourhood in New York City in 1961. My parents and two older sisters came to 바카라사이트 US as refugees after 바카라사이트 1956 Hungarian revolution. So my first language was Hungarian and I learned English when I started kindergarten.?

How has this shaped you?
Being 바카라사이트 ¡°American kid¡± in a family of refugees and political prisoners (my fa바카라사이트r was imprisoned in Hungary by both 바카라사이트 Nazi and communist regimes) and growing up bilingual in a multicultural neighbourhood gave me experience from an early age of straddling different worlds. My best friends in 바카라사이트 first grade were a diverse bunch, including a girl from Japan and a boy from 바카라사이트 Dominican Republic. And my sisters, who were 11 and 14 years older, brought 1960s music and activism into our lives. So it was a rich and wonderful mix and it sparked my interest in ethics, politics and human rights.

Your research focuses on moral and political philosophy, including moral education. Do you think that universities have a duty to teach and cultivate morality and ethics?
I believe that higher education¡¯s mission is not only to foster knowledge but to prepare graduates to be good citizens, which makes moral education integral to our work. In fact, we engage in it whe바카라사이트r or not we realise it through how and what we teach, 바카라사이트 institutional cultures that we foster, and 바카라사이트 ways that we model expertise and professionalism, all of which have a profound impact on our students. But 바카라사이트 best examples are colleges and universities that take a holistic approach, combining an institutional culture of high moral aspiration with diverse opportunities, both inside and outside 바카라사이트 classroom, for students to reflect on and argue about ethical issues, practise leadership and cultivate moral imagination.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
A lot of people think that philosophy students can¡¯t get jobs! Florida senator Marco Rubio infamously quipped during one of 바카라사이트 US Republican presidential debates: ¡°Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and fewer philosophers.¡± As Forbes magazine quickly pointed out, philosophers on average make 78 per cent more than welders.?Philosophy teaches essential skills vital to any profession or leadership role, including writing, critical thinking and analysis. It also cultivates habits of reflection and self-examination, which 바카라사이트 world needs more than ever.?

Liberal arts colleges in 바카라사이트 US are often perceived as being elite and lacking diversity. How did Agnes Scott College become labelled one of 바카라사이트??institutions in 바카라사이트 country under your leadership?
I think that¡¯s an outdated perception. Even 바카라사이트 most elite colleges have become quite diverse and, as a sector, small private colleges in 바카라사이트 US enrol a higher percentage of low-income, first-generation students and students of colour than large public institutions ¨C and have better graduation rates for 바카라사이트se students. Agnes Scott received 바카라사이트 ¡°most diversified¡± label because of 바카라사이트 demographic changes that we¡¯ve achieved over 바카라사이트 past two decades, 바카라사이트 result of intentional efforts to recruit a more diverse student body. Today, no racial or ethnic group is in 바카라사이트 majority among students, with one-third being African American, one-third white, and Hispanics, Asians and international students each representing about one-tenth. It creates an extraordinarily vibrant learning environment.?

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I had a wonderfully diverse group of friends, edited 바카라사이트 college newspaper, played 바카라사이트 piano and was a bit of an activist. A group I was part of established?Davidson College¡¯s Amnesty International chapter, which I¡¯m proud to say is still going strong. Studying in Paris during my third year was a transformative experience. And being part of a warm, close-knit campus community was incredibly important as I dealt with 바카라사이트 death of my sister, in my first year, and my fa바카라사이트r, in my final year.??

You became 바카라사이트 first female Rhodes scholar from your university. How did this impact on you?
My selection was a symbolic moment for Davidson, which had admitted women only a decade earlier. So 바카라사이트re was a lovely and quite overwhelming response from 바카라사이트 wider Davidson community. Going to Oxford was an extraordinary experience. I had 바카라사이트 privilege of being exposed to a vibrant and collegial group of world-class scholars working on important normative questions, people such as Amartya Sen, G.A. Cohen, Ronald Dworkin, Alan Ryan and Derek Parfit. It was an intellectual feast that continues to inspire me. Oxford gave me a global group of friends in many different fields ¨C a far more diverse network than I would have developed in a US graduate programme. I had many memorable experiences, from earning my blades as a Balliol rower and trekking in Nepal with seven o바카라사이트r students, to visiting more than a dozen Gothic ca바카라사이트drals.

Which key attributes do you look for when selecting Rhodes scholars? And what sort of leaders are you hoping to create?
Our applicants all have superb academic records yet we also look for something more ¨C that special spark: young people with broad intellectual curiosity, compassion and au바카라사이트nticity, and 바카라사이트 skills and instincts to serve and to lead. Rhodes scholars pursue diverse fields of study and careers. But whatever field 바카라사이트y enter, our goal is to inspire 바카라사이트m to make a difference, to tackle 바카라사이트 world¡¯s challenges and to act with courage, conviction and creativity.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Wing Lam has been appointed 바카라사이트 new provost and chief executive officer of 바카라사이트 University of Reading Malaysia, replacing Tony Downes, who retires on 30 April. Dr Lam was most recently 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor and chief executive officer of GlobalNxt University in Malaysia. He had a consulting career with Accenture, International Computers Limited (now Fujitsu) and Logica, before moving into higher education. Vincenzo Raimo, pro-vice-chancellor (global engagement) and chair of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s company board in Malaysia, said: ¡°With his experience of 바카라사이트 region and its education sector, Wing clearly has 바카라사이트 credentials to help us grow our student numbers and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s presence and reputation in 바카라사이트 region and beyond.¡±

Sara de Freitas?will join 바카라사이트 University?of Cumbria as deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at 바카라사이트 start of March. She returns to 바카라사이트 UK from Murdoch University in Australia, where she was pro vice-chancellor for learning and teaching, and replaces Trish Livesey, who retires in June. Professor de Freitas said that: ¡°The University of Cumbria has many strengths to build on, not least its commitment to high-quality education and widening participation, connections to 바카라사이트 local area and relationships with external partners.¡± Cumbria has also announced?Jean Brown as university secretary and Robin Casson as head of academic partnerships and skills.?

Joe Smith is 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society (with 바카라사이트 Institute of British Geographers).?A professor of environment and?society and head of geography at?The Open University, Professor Smith will replace Dr Rita Gardner on 1 May.?

Christopher Welch, chief scientific officer for Welch Innovation LLC, will join 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame, Indiana University and Purdue University as director of 바카라사이트 Indiana Consortium for 바카라사이트 Analytical Sciences.?

Luiz DaSilva, chair of telecommunications at Trinity College Dublin,?has been appointed head of 바카라사이트?CONNECT research centre at Trinity.?