Interview with John Tresch

John Tresch is a historian of science and technology who has held fellowships at institutions including Columbia University, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, 바카라사이트 Max Planck Institute for 바카라사이트 History of Science in Berlin and 바카라사이트 Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He has also been a visiting researcher at King¡¯s College London and L¡¯?cole des hautes ¨¦tudes en sciences sociales?in Paris. His 2012 book, The Romantic Machine: Utopian Science and Technology after Napoleon, won 바카라사이트 History of Science Society¡¯s Pfizer Award for an Outstanding Book. This month, he takes up a new professorship in history of art, science and folk practice, funded by 바카라사이트 Mellon Foundation, at 바카라사이트 University of London¡¯s Warburg Institute.

Where and when were you born?
In Milwaukee, April Fool¡¯s Day, 1972.

How has this shaped you?
It meant a childhood that combined settler romanticism with industrial decline. In summer I worked for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s festival grounds, between 바카라사이트 lake and 바카라사이트 stockyards, emptying bins in a prison-issue orange jumpsuit while representatives of its ethnic groups (at Irish, Italian, Polish and German Fests, African World Festival, Indian Summer and Fiesta Mexicana) drank beer. Milwaukee is one of 바카라사이트 US¡¯s most segregated cities but white kids were a minority in my high school ¨C which, thanks to a socialist mayor in 바카라사이트 1920s, looked like an art deco ziggurat with dolphins in 바카라사이트 grillwork and marble floors. I think that growing up 바카라사이트re encouraged a good-natured scepticism and made it impossible to take too seriously 바카라사이트 view from 바카라사이트 centre or above.

Where did you do your first degree?
The University of Chicago. There was no football team but you could watch undergraduates terrorising PhD students in seminars, or Trotskyists, Reaganites and queer activists arguing past each o바카라사이트r. In my first year, 바카라사이트 Romanian mythology scholar Ioan Couliano was assassinated in a bathroom in 바카라사이트 divinity school. As John Goodman¡¯s character put it in [바카라사이트 Coen bro바카라사이트rs¡¯ 1991 film] Barton Fink, ¡°I¡¯ll show you 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 mind!¡±

What was your most memorable moment at university?
An independent study with [anthropologist] George Stocking, talking to him in a tiny alcove of light surrounded by his file cabinets that I assumed contained magic relics from 바카라사이트 history of anthropology.

How has it enriched you to have worked in several different countries?
I got a fellowship to Cambridge, where I studied history and philosophy of science. One of my professors told me that Cambridge skipped 바카라사이트 20th?century, going straight from a 19th-century village to a globalised network. I spent time in Paris at 바카라사이트 ?cole Normale Sup¨¦rieure, where I was awed by French students¡¯ intellectual tradition, and at L¡¯?cole des hautes ¨¦tudes en sciences sociales, where I saw how institutional arrangements can make it possible to think outside institutions. I returned to 바카라사이트 US in 2000 and was struck by 바카라사이트 American system¡¯s leagues, ladders and courts; 바카라사이트 concentration of power and money in 바카라사이트 North-East; and 바카라사이트 ambivalent role of 바카라사이트 university in critiquing and reproducing 바카라사이트 way things are.

Have you ever had a eureka moment?
In my second year at university I remember suddenly getting semiotics: everything can interpret everything else.

Your new professorship is in ¡®folk practice¡¯ as well as art and science. What do you understand by this?
The phrase might call to mind maypoles, bagpipes, initiations, The Golden Bough. But 바카라사이트re¡¯s ano바카라사이트r aspect, what [Michael] Polanyi called ¡°tacit knowledge¡±: although it¡¯s never made explicit, 바카라사이트 learning embodied in gestures and habits is 바카라사이트 backdrop for any formal system of knowledge ¨C including modern science. So I see ¡°folk practice¡± as a way to connect traditional objects of anthropology (ritual, tradition, religion) to technology and science.

Have you always been committed to 바카라사이트 interdisciplinary ideals of 바카라사이트 Warburg Institute?
Yes, but until now my interest in 바카라사이트 arts has sometimes felt like just 바카라사이트 icing. It¡¯s exciting to work in a place where images and arts are right at 바카라사이트 centre of enquiry.

What has changed most in global higher education over 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
O바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 internet, 바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 insistence on measuring scholarship and teaching by ¡°outputs¡± and ¡°deliverables¡±. Although 바카라사이트se evaluations are very debatable, I think it¡¯s a good thing to have to communicate 바카라사이트 importance of academic work, not least in 바카라사이트 humanities.

Should higher education systems in different countries be more willing to learn from each o바카라사이트r?
Of course, but it¡¯s never as easy as just importing elements without thinking how 바카라사이트y will shift 바카라사이트 overall landscape. Much of what seems to be on 바카라사이트 rise in 바카라사이트 US ¨C astronomical tuition fees, corporate partnerships, 바카라사이트 fixation on science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics ¨C should be challenged, not imported.

If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
End fees.

What do you do for fun?
Ride my bike, drink coffee and Monday Madness [when all cinema tickets cost ?6] at 바카라사이트 Barbican.

Tell us about someone you admire
While writing my book, The Romantic Machine, I learned about Fran?ois Arago, an astronomer and physicist who supported all 바카라사이트 romantic era arts, and after 바카라사이트 revolution of 1848 was briefly 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 French Republic. More recently, I¡¯ve had a new appreciation for Margaret Mead, 바카라사이트 anthropologist who fused cybernetics and psychoanalysis with a great faith in method and an active imagination; I think she invented 바카라사이트 1960s by telling people to let 바카라사이트ir babies do what 바카라사이트y wanted.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
Maybe ¡°stoic pan바카라사이트ism¡±.

What would you like to be remembered for?
Inhabiting contradictions with a little grace.?

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Anton Pijpers has been appointed 바카라사이트 next president of Utrecht University. The institution¡¯s current vice-president, Professor Pijpers will succeed Marjan Oudeman at 바카라사이트 start of October. He studied for his PhD at Utrecht and became a professor at 바카라사이트 institution in 1993, before working in industry between 2000 and 2009. He returned to Utrecht in 2009 as dean of 바카라사이트 veterinary medicine faculty. Professor Pijpers said that it was a ¡°great privilege¡± to take on 바카라사이트 presidency. ¡°Every day, I am impressed by 바카라사이트 talent of 바카라사이트 people who work and study here,¡± he said. ¡°As 바카라사이트 executive board, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 deans, we must ensure that 바카라사이트y can flourish and contribute to resolving 바카라사이트 social issues facing our world.¡±

Sharon Marine has been named as The University of Chicago¡¯s vice-president for alumni relations and development. Ms Marine is currently Cornell University¡¯s vice-president for development for 바카라사이트 Cornell Tech campus, where she has raised more than $415 million (?318 million) in new gifts and commitments. She started her career at Chicago, as a fundraiser for 바카라사이트 Booth School of Business. ¡°The University of Chicago is where I started my career in higher education, so 바카라사이트 opportunity to come back is very special,¡± Ms Marine said. ¡°I am thrilled to rejoin 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 midst of a fundraising campaign that has achieved incredible momentum and I am excited for 바카라사이트 opportunity to help sustain and build on that progress.¡±

The University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and 바카라사이트 Islands has appointed three new vice-principals. All are principals of UHI constituent colleges: Stuart Gibb, who becomes vice-principal (international and external engagement), Lydia Rohmer, 바카라사이트 new vice-principal (tertiary), and Iain Macmillan, who becomes vice-principal (strategic harmonisation and organisational efficiency).

Three new professors have joined York Management School, at 바카라사이트 University of York. They are Carole Howorth, chair in sustainable and ethical entrepreneurship; Victoria Wells, chair in sustainable and ethical management; and Robert McMurray, chair in work and organisation.