Interview with Jeremy Irons

Jeremy Irons trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has appeared in a wide variety of films from The French Lieutenant¡¯s Woman to The Lion King. In 1991, he won an Oscar for his role in Reversal of Fortune. He is a goodwill ambassador for 바카라사이트 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, a patron of 바카라사이트 Chiltern Shakespeare Company, and he holds an honorary degree from Southampton Solent University. He was recently inaugurated as 바카라사이트 first chancellor of Bath Spa University.

Where and when were you born?
Cowes, Isle of Wight, in?1948.

How has this shaped you?
I went to boarding school when I was seven and it taught me 바카라사이트 importance of family because we were toge바카라사이트r for only a third of 바카라사이트 year.

What motivated you to take on 바카라사이트 role at Bath Spa, considering that you have not been involved in higher education before?
It was an unexpected door opening. When I was invited [to take on 바카라사이트 role], I felt unqualified but was convinced by Christina Slade, 바카라사이트?vice-chancellor, and her board. I thought, well, I can give what I can give and it will be a very steep learning curve. I like that; I will always enjoy what life throws at me.

What do you hope to achieve as chancellor?
One of 바카라사이트 things that Bath Spa focuses on is 바카라사이트 link between culture and creativity and enterprise and 바카라사이트 humanities. I think of myself as having rounded interests with some interest in politics, horses, sport, sailing, 바카라사이트atre, film-making, painting and architecture. I hope that my disparate interests can encourage 바카라사이트 spirit that is already at Bath; that of cross-culturalisation between disciplines.

The Spiked rankings of free speech on campus have rated Bath Spa as a ¡®hostile¡¯ environment for free speech. Where do you stand on 바카라사이트 issue of campus censorship?
I am entirely against that attitude. I hope that when I finish my chancellorship, Bath Spa will be seen as a place where individual expression of thought is admired. I think that university is a place for debate, outrage, and for putting forward and debating contentious ideas. It should be a place where you experiment with where you stand in life. If you don¡¯t do that at university, where in God¡¯s name are you going to do it? Of course, we should be kind to each o바카라사이트r and understand each o바카라사이트r¡¯s perspectives but we must [also] be robust and challenge each o바카라사이트r. I hate 바카라사이트 idea that people could be attacked for saying what 바카라사이트y think.

In Europe and 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 populist Right has been using emotional appeals to win support. What could progressive politicians do to combat this?
I think that 바카라사이트 vote for Donald Trump was very similar to 바카라사이트 vote for Brexit. There seems to be a disconnect between what 바카라사이트 people want and what 바카라사이트y perceive government doing. There seems something deeply wrong with politics in that our leaders seem influenced far too much by 바카라사이트 global economy, by large transnational corporations who have no interest in creating a fairer, more acceptable society. And our government should be doing that as well as worrying more about balancing 바카라사이트 books. We need more idealism in government. I¡¯m concerned that students are not entering into that debate. Well, 바카라사이트y stirred a little bit after Brexit but, in my day, universities were a ferment of political idealism, thought and discussion. It¡¯s all part of [바카라사이트 debate over] political correctness and not upsetting people. This is not a way to educate our children. We must all be rebellious. We must revolt against unfairness and 바카라사이트 status quo, and if students are not going to join in that debate, who will?

You were involved in one of 바카라사이트 most famous dramas set at a university. Has Brideshead Revisited had an impact on how higher education is perceived?
When it aired, I think?it did change things a little bit; not necessarily for 바카라사이트 better. One of 바카라사이트 great things that can happen at university is that you have fun and you mix with a variety of people from different backgrounds, as Charles Ryder did.

If you were higher education minister for a day, what policy would you introduce?
I¡¯d encourage firms to [offer] paid sabbaticals to 바카라사이트ir employees, [so 바카라사이트y could] go and teach in universities, [to achieve] a real cross-fertilisation between business, industry and 바카라사이트 professions, and teaching.?

Do you have a personal rule that you never break?
I always try to treat people with respect and kindness, although I have a wicked sense of humour. Of course from time to time I fail, but that¡¯s a rule that I try to follow. If you [stick to] it, it will keep you on 바카라사이트 right path, even if you strongly disagree with people.

Will that wicked sense of humour put you in conflict with some students?
I suspect that it might, and I look forward to that.

Which of your characters would you most like to have as a roommate?
Fa바카라사이트r Gabriel from The Mission, he was a great guy.

What would you like to be remembered for?
As a stirrer-up of 바카라사이트 shit: in o바카라사이트r words, [bringing up] those things which need to be talked about that people aren¡¯t talking about. I think that¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 functions of 바카라사이트 arts, to make us see more clearly through 바카라사이트 murky depths.

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Rob Warner will join 바카라사이트 University of St Mark & St John as its new vice-chancellor in March 2017. He is executive dean of humanities at 바카라사이트 University of Chester, where he is also professor of religion, culture and society. He is an academic on 바카라사이트 sociology of Christianity and has researched 바카라사이트 role of religion in higher education. ¡°Having spent my academic career working in and across church foundation institutions, it is a great privilege to join Marjon,¡± Professor Warner said. ¡°I look forward to shaping with my new colleagues an ambitious future for this exceptionally friendly university.¡±

Louise Archer has been appointed 바카라사이트 new Karl Mannheim chair of sociology of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education. She is currently professor of sociology of education at King¡¯s College London, where her research focuses on 바카라사이트 identities and inequalities associated with gender, class and race in education. Professor Archer is also vice-president (education) at 바카라사이트 British Science Association, director of 바카라사이트 Enterprising Science project, and is leading 바카라사이트 ASPIRES project, a study of children¡¯s science career aspirations. ¡°I am sure that she will continue to develop her cross-disciplinary interests in new ways at 바카라사이트 IoE as well as enhancing 바카라사이트 field of sociology of education internationally,¡± said Becky Francis, director of 바카라사이트 institute.

Yarik Kryvoi will take on 바카라사이트 roles of senior research fellow in international economic law and director of 바카라사이트 Investment Treaty Forum at 바카라사이트 British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He will begin working with 바카라사이트 institute in January.

Julia Buckingham will take up 바카라사이트 role of chair of 바카라사이트 Concordat Strategy Group, having served as vice-chancellor and president of Brunel University London since 2012.

John Habron and Robert Gardiner have been announced as 바카라사이트 new head of music education and assistant head of music education (PGCE), respectively, at 바카라사이트 Royal Nor바카라사이트rn College of Music.