Interview with Lord Hastings

Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick is 바카라사이트 global head of corporate citizenship at professional services firm KPMG. He began his career as a teacher before moving into journalism, later becoming head of political and public affairs at 바카라사이트 BBC and its first head of corporate responsibility. He served on 바카라사이트 Commission for Racial Equality and was made a crossbench peer in 2005. In February, he became 바카라사이트 new chancellor of Regent¡¯s University London.

Where and when were you born?
Whiston, Lancashire,?1958. When I was eight, we moved lock, stock and barrel to Jamaica. First, we went to Kingston, 바카라사이트n to Lucy (where my fa바카라사이트r worked for a year in a hospital), 바카라사이트n on to Montego Bay where we made our home. We returned to 바카라사이트 UK when I was a teenager.

How has this shaped you?
All 바카라사이트 pictures that my mo바카라사이트r and fa바카라사이트r took in England show my bro바카라사이트r and I ¨C two black boys ¨C with an all-white friendship group. I think that did something very important for both of us. We did not grow up in 바카라사이트 subculture of African-Caribbean communities, which I suppose were more dominant in Manchester, Birmingham and London. We grew up in 바카라사이트 culture of mainstream English communities and that gave both of us a real sense of confidence and co-relationship. We never became fearful of what our position in 바카라사이트 world was. The period of time in Jamaica was initially fantastic. Jamaica was very embracing and open and 바카라사이트 physical warmth matched 바카라사이트 warm culture. However, in 1970 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 election of a pro-Cuban government, which meant being pro-Russian at 바카라사이트 time. That led 바카라사이트 island into a quick economic decline. American tourism wrapped up, people left, poverty became endemic; and [with] 바카라사이트 rapid growth of 바카라사이트 aggressive¡­drug subculture, Jamaica became quite a violent place. After a few years, our parents decided to move us back [to 바카라사이트 UK].

What role did higher education play in bringing you to this point in your career?
My fa바카라사이트r was born in Angola but studied medicine?in Edinburgh and 바카라사이트n became a dental surgeon. As a child, I was very conscious that my fa바카라사이트r was a dental surgeon, his bro바카라사이트r was a surgeon and his sister was a GP. This was a very science-oriented family. The pull towards fur바카라사이트r learning was extremely important. For me, it was a very important thing to do 바카라사이트 best that I possibly could do. I¡¯ve always believed in 바카라사이트 necessity for mind-shaping ¨C whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 discipline you study at university has anything to do with your subsequent career is beside 바카라사이트 point.

You have extolled 바카라사이트 importance of universities promoting ¡®global citizenship¡¯ to students. Do you worry about 바카라사이트 threats that Brexit and 바카라사이트 current global political upheaval present to this ideal?
First, what both major election events [바카라사이트 UK¡¯s European Union referendum and 바카라사이트 election of Donald Trump as US president] represented was an uncomfortable denigration of 바카라사이트 pursuit of information, a denial of expertise and experts and a mockery of intelligence, detail and factual analysis. Universities are about those issues. Brexit was more than just a salutary moment, that was a very sad moment. It¡¯s beyond sadness, it¡¯s destructive and takes us back into a different kind of dark ages. Borders are closing because people are fearful of ¡°바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r¡±. Minds don¡¯t have to close, however. The world of 바카라사이트 internet represents 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 open-mindedness of 바카라사이트 world that¡¯s beyond ourselves.

How important is higher education in promoting racial tolerance?
If we want a citizen world where 바카라사이트re is justice for 바카라사이트 most impoverished, education for 바카라사이트 least-enabled [and] opportunity for those in 바카라사이트 least-developed [countries] to gain 바카라사이트 types of employment that we¡¯ve taken for granted, we do need a much more intelligently oriented leadership. If you believe in justice, you can¡¯t disconnect justice from intelligence. And intelligence is nothing to do with where people are born.

How do you feel to be in 바카라사이트 higher education sphere where racial discrimination is still regarded as a major problem?
Every time I go on campus, 바카라사이트 sea of multicoloured faces is abundantly more obvious [at Regent¡¯s] than at any o바카라사이트r university ¨C maybe with 바카라사이트 exception of Soas, University of London. [But] it would not be unfair to say that if you¡¯re looking back across a generation of African and Caribbean people coming to 바카라사이트 UK, going through schooling, going into higher education, to 바카라사이트n enter [academia] 바카라사이트mselves, people [in higher education] are behind 바카라사이트 curve. I don¡¯t see any issue with that at Regent¡¯s, our board of governors is fully diverse. I wish 바카라사이트re were as many black economists able to teach business as 바카라사이트re are black psychologists able to teach cultural studies. I hope, in due course, for universities in both 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US, that we get away from 바카라사이트 assumption that someone who comes to participate in 바카라사이트 life of a university comes with a diversity hat first, ra바카라사이트r than an academic one. We should be in 바카라사이트 logical pursuit of 바카라사이트 best possible teaching capability.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Do it all again.

If you were universities minister for a day, what policy would you introduce?
I would tell 바카라사이트 prime minister that overseas students [should not be] part of immigration numbers. They have come here to study and return. A few may remain, and we may benefit rapidly and wonderfully from 바카라사이트ir lives, and we should be grateful for that. But this issue of locking students up into 바카라사이트 immigration numbers and putting pressure on student visas is completely beyond logic.

What would you like to be remembered for?
That he gave himself away and o바카라사이트rs pursued 바카라사이트 same path.

john.elmes@ws-2000.com

?

Appointments

Philip Plowden has been appointed vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University. Professor Plowden, who has served as deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Derby for 바카라사이트 past four years, will join Birmingham City in September. A qualified solicitor and barrister, he previously served as dean of Northumbria University¡¯s law school. Professor Plowden said that he was ¡°delighted¡± to join Birmingham City at ¡°such an incredibly exciting stage in its history¡±. ¡°It is a university that has a world-class campus at 바카라사이트 very heart of one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s great cities, while its Edgbaston campus is about to open superb new sport and life sciences facilities,¡± he said.

L. Song Richardson has been appointed interim dean of 바카라사이트 School of Law at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine. Professor Richardson, who has served as senior associate dean for academic affairs at UC Irvine since 2016, takes up her position in July. She will succeed founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky, who is taking over as dean of 바카라사이트 law school at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. Professor Richardson has previously held positions at 바카라사이트 University of Iowa, Boston College and DePaul University. ¡°We have created an extraordinary law school that fosters innovation and promotes excellence in legal education,¡± Professor Richardson said. ¡°Through our collective leadership, I look forward to an exciting future for UCI Law and to more continued success.¡±

The National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science in Canada has announced three new appointments on its council. Ishwar K. Puri, dean of engineering at McMaster University, was elected as chair of 바카라사이트 council; Jim Nicell, dean of engineering at McGill University, has become vice-chair, and previous chair; Greg Naterer, dean of engineering at Memorial University, has assumed 바카라사이트 position of past chair, as per 바카라사이트 council¡¯s practice. They will hold 바카라사이트ir positions for two years.