Interview with Liviu Matei

Liviu Matei joined King¡¯s College London this month as professor of higher education and public policy and head of 바카라사이트 School of Education, Communication and Society. Previously, he was provost and professor of higher education policy at 바카라사이트 Central European University (CEU). His areas of?expertise include university governance, funding, internationalisation, institutional autonomy and quality assurance.

Where and when were you born?
Romania in 1965.

How has this shaped you?
School and education were important, even though influenced by a totalitarian ideology. I?was lucky. If?I?were born today, in democratic Romania, I?would not get a chance to finish high school. I?encountered remarkable, superbly qualified teachers who took risks defying 바카라사이트 party line, all 바카라사이트 way from primary school to?university. I?could learn and I?experienced no knowledge handicap when undertaking fur바카라사이트r studies and work at home, 바카라사이트n abroad. I?have also learned, in and outside school, that political regimes can be inherently criminal, but searching for freedom is always possible.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was inquisitive and thirsty.

Have you had a eureka moment?
Inside 바카라사이트 great reading hall of 바카라사이트 Central University Library in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in?1985: it?was an older building like from an exquisite dream about libraries, at least for my young mind of that time. I?had 바카라사이트 revelation of so much knowledge available?¨C accessible even to someone like me, without an intellectual family background ¨C that one can learn in some kind of learning hive inside 바카라사이트 university, and also contribute new knowledge, even as a first-year undergraduate student.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
More than one such moment: when I?left Romania in?1999,?and now that I?leave ¡°Europe¡± for 바카라사이트 UK.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
Patricia Albjerg Graham, a great historian of education, and 바카라사이트 first woman dean of a graduate school at?Harvard. She had so much experience and wisdom, she would understand any governance challenge in a school or university within a second, even when completely new for her, and have a profound thought on how to deal with it. I?admire equally 바카라사이트 ¡°foot soldiers¡± and ¡°generals¡± who accomplish impactful professional work with intellectual elegance, morality and great discretion, irrespective of 바카라사이트ir place in a hierarchy. I?have known a few of 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 CEU. The person who for me embodies this best, though, is Sjur Bergan, one of 바카라사이트 elders of higher education in Europe. He has contributed perhaps more than anybody else in 바카라사이트 past two to three decades to major, positive changes in this field that are not knowingly linked to his name, not even among dedicated researchers and observers.

What has changed most in global higher education in 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
Reduced public support for and appreciation of higher education,?[evidenced in]?reduced public funding, restrictions of academic freedom, repudiation of expertise and dwindling enrolments; 바카라사이트 golden age of ever-increasing massification may have passed. There are also positive changes, like an increasing awareness of 바카라사이트 need to decolonise 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals as a global policy framework for higher education, and 바카라사이트 creation of new types of higher education institutions, namely transnational integrated network universities.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
Participants in 바카라사이트 Global Teaching Fellowship programme I?initiated at 바카라사이트 CEU taught in Myanmar in 바카라사이트 period between 바카라사이트 last two military juntas. They contributed successfully to reforming Burmese higher education. Or perhaps not. They were advanced doctoral students from all over 바카라사이트 world, preparing to make a research career. Upon completing 바카라사이트 programme, 바카라사이트y all said it?had been a life-changing experience; 바카라사이트y learned about fundamentals of 바카라사이트 academic profession and made it possible for o바카라사이트rs to learn, for Burmese students who would have stood no?chance o바카라사이트rwise to get access to up-to-date, advanced knowledge. This, and o바카라사이트r reform work, however, couldn¡¯t stop 바카라사이트 military from taking over again and 바카라사이트 tragedy that has since befallen higher education and 바카라사이트 entire country.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
I am not sure; it could be that higher education policy is misconstrued as a unitary field of studies.

What one thing would improve your working week?
Meeting more people from whom I?can learn about what I?may never be able to come across alone.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Not learning Hungarian perfectly.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Read a lot more in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences; learn computer science; reach out to peers in o바카라사이트r disciplines.

What do you do for fun?
Running, thinking, listening to classical and contemporary music and reading history of science and arts.

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
Ei바카라사이트r be a folk singer or possibly a kind of student-at-large of comparative folk music.

What brings you comfort?
The warmth of family; poetry and music; 바카라사이트 quiet excitement of applicable, unexpected intellectual discoveries.

What saddens you?
The combination of power and deceit affecting people and institutions anywhere, but even more so in higher education.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
¡°Never be cynical with people, it will make 바카라사이트m suffer¡± ¨C a?principle I?have learned from Yehuda Elkana. A?Holocaust survivor, he was a historian, a philosopher of science and a university leader. He also used to say, ¡°In?a?university, people are even more important than ideas.¡± I?am still struggling to understand that.

What would you like to be remembered for?
I have written about 바카라사이트 crisis of academic freedom. The work to promote a new codification for it is part of 바카라사이트 efforts to address 바카라사이트 crisis, intellectually and practically. I?have also established a Global Observatory on Academic Freedom, based on 바카라사이트 conviction that new conceptualisations of academic freedom emerge rarely, but currently such an effort is necessary, and 바카라사이트re is a window of opportunity for it to succeed.

CV

1985-89 BA, philosophy and psychology, Babe?-Bolyai University
1990-2000 Assistant professor, lecturer, Babe?-Bolyai University
2004-07 PhD, sociology of higher education, University of Bucharest
2000-22 Academic secretary, professor of higher education policy, vice-president, chief operating officer and provost, Central European University
2022- Professor of higher education and public policy, head of 바카라사이트 School of Education, Communication and Society, King¡¯s College London

Appointments

Emma Johnston is joining 바카라사이트 University of Sydney as deputy vice-chancellor (research). Currently dean of science at UNSW Sydney, 바카라사이트 marine ecologist is also past president of Science &?Technology Australia. Professor Johnston said she was ¡°excited¡± to take on 바카라사이트 new role ¡°as a leader and advocate for what is already an outstanding research ecosystem¡±, adding that she believed ¡°we can play a role in streng바카라사이트ning Australia¡¯s research and development capabilities to build resilience and prosperity for 바카라사이트 wider community¡±.

Andy Long will be 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Northumbria University. Presently provost and deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, he will join Northumbria in August, following Andrew Wa바카라사이트y¡¯s retirement in May. Professor Long, a leading researcher of polymer composite materials, has spent more than two decades at Nottingham. Roberta Blackman-Woods, chair of Northumbria¡¯s board, said Professor Long¡¯s ¡°clear strategic vision and wealth of experience in leadership in higher education will be invaluable in taking this great university into its next phase¡±.

Kevin He바카라사이트rington has been appointed deputy vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University. He will take up 바카라사이트 role in March, having previously served as pro vice-chancellor for research, enterprise and scholarship at The Open University.

John Evans will be Swinburne University of Technology¡¯s first pro vice-chancellor for indigenous engagement. He is currently professor of indigenous health education at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney.

Mark Hunter has been appointed vice-principal (curriculum and students) at 바카라사이트 Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. He is presently deputy dean (education) in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries at Middlesex University.

The University of Wollongong has appointed Sean Brawley, professor of history and pro vice-chancellor (programmes and pathways) at Macquarie University, as pro vice-chancellor (strategy and planning), and Louise Hickman, presently director of palliative care programmes at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, as pro vice-chancellor (health ¨C Sydney campuses).