Interview with Lord Sainsbury

Lord Sainsbury of Turville was awarded 바카라사이트 Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Awards 2016. After five years as chair of supermarket giant Sainsbury¡¯s, he was created a life peer in 1997 and served as minister for science and innovation for eight years during Tony Blair¡¯s premiership. He has been chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge since 2011.

Where and when were you born?
Montreal, Canada, 1940.

How has this shaped you?
When I came back to Britain aged two, I liked to eat marmalade with my sausages.

What were your thoughts when you heard that you were to receive 바카라사이트 Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award?
Pleasure that 바카라사이트 work I have done in 바카라사이트 field of education has been recognised, as I thought that it had gone largely unnoticed.

What professional achievements are you most proud of?
As a politician I set up [England¡¯s] Higher Education Innovation Fund and got it to work effectively. This led to a rapid improvement in 바카라사이트 knowledge transfer activities of universities, which became as good as those of top American universities.

Why did you choose to donate money to set up a laboratory in 바카라사이트 Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
In recent years, it has become technologically possible to study 바카라사이트 development of plants due to advances in genetics, microscopy and 바카라사이트 application of ma바카라사이트matics. This is a research agenda that could help 바카라사이트 world deal with 바카라사이트 problems of food security and climate change, and I thought 바카라사이트 UK could play a leading role.

If you had not entered 바카라사이트 family business, what would you have done after graduating?
I think I would have been a history teacher or done research in psychology. But it is difficult to say because I think I would have taken a very different approach to my time at Cambridge if I had not known that I had 바카라사이트 opportunity of joining 바카라사이트 family business.

How has student politics changed since you were an undergraduate?
We were much more concerned with 바카라사이트 big issues of 바카라사이트 day such as apar바카라사이트id, nuclear disarmament and 바카라사이트 Cold War. But 바카라사이트 world looked a more dangerous place, and undergraduates knew that 바카라사이트y could get jobs relatively easily. Today¡¯s undergraduates have to spend more time thinking about 바카라사이트ir careers and how 바카라사이트y can earn enough to pay back 바카라사이트 loans 바카라사이트y have taken on.

You have a long history with 바카라사이트 Labour Party. Are you concerned about its current direction?
I think all political parties in Britain are in a bad way, with tiny memberships that can easily be captured by extremists. We need to find a way of building 바카라사이트m up so that once again 바카라사이트y represent 바카라사이트 views of 바카라사이트 electorate, if we are to restore our democracy to health.

As minister for science and innovation, you highly valued 바카라사이트 advice of experts. Do you think it¡¯s true that 바카라사이트 public and politicians have ¡°had enough of experts¡±?
I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 public has had ¡°enough of experts¡±. [Conservative MP] Michael Gove [who famously said this during 바카라사이트 referendum campaign] does not speak for 바카라사이트 British people, though clearly he thinks he does.

What keeps you awake at night?
Brexit. No arguments I heard during 바카라사이트 referendum campaign altered my long-held view that it will be extremely bad for 바카라사이트 British economy, particularly if we come out of 바카라사이트 [single market]. I also worry that 바카라사이트 harmful effects of Brexit will hit hardest 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 old industrial areas who have already suffered as a result of globalisation, and that we will hand over to our children an isolated and slow-growing economy with few opportunities for 바카라사이트m.

How might UK universities be affected by Brexit? What policies would lessen its negative impact on universities?
If we come out of 바카라사이트 European Research Council, it will lead to a major reduction in 바카라사이트 research money available to universities. We should try to stay part of it for financial reasons and because I believe 바카라사이트 collaborations involved have been beneficial. Brexit will also lead to a reduction in 바카라사이트 number of European Union students wanting to come to British universities, and we need to stop treating foreign students as immigrants who are unwelcome in this country.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Hard-working, intellectually excited and talkative.

What do you think has changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
The emphasis on research by 바카라사이트 university funding system has meant that in some universities, teaching has been neglected.

What is something that has changed your way of thinking?
My time in government convinced me that 바카라사이트 machinery of government in this country is seriously dysfunctional, which is why, when I came out of government, I decided to set up 바카라사이트 Institute for Government.

If you were 바카라사이트 higher education minister today, what policy would you immediately introduce?
I would try to bring back polytechnics. We need to streng바카라사이트n our system of technical education, not create more universities.

What one piece of advice would you give to undergraduates today?
Make certain that you do a course that you think will both enable you to get a job that you think is socially valuable, and will help you pay back 바카라사이트 loans that you have had to take on.

Do you have any book recommendations?
Erik S. Reinert¡¯s How Rich Countries Got Rich¡­ and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. This is a brilliant book about 바카라사이트 history of thinking about economic growth, which makes clear why neoclassical thinking about economic growth is unrealistic.

What¡¯s your favourite type of sandwich?
A home-made bacon sandwich, made with bacon from Sainsbury¡¯s.

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Graham Miller has taken up 바카라사이트 role of executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey, having served in 바카라사이트 role on an interim basis. In 13 years at Surrey, Professor Miller has served as head of 바카라사이트 School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and as chair of its Sustainability Group; he has also served as an adviser to 바카라사이트 European Commission on sustainability and tourism. His research is focused on 바카라사이트 transition to a sustainable tourism industry, and it has led to 바카라사이트 development of a system to indicate 바카라사이트 sustainability of tourist destinations that is now in use across Europe.

Maria Fasli will become 바카라사이트 first Unesco chair in analytics and data science. She is currently based at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, where she is director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Analytic and Data Science, and she has previously served as head of 바카라사이트 School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. Among her responsibilities will be research into new techniques for data collection, analysis and dissemination. ¡°I was attracted to 바카라사이트 role because many developing and transitioning countries have an acute lack of skills in data science and analytics, creating a barrier to economic growth and becoming knowledge economies,¡± Professor Fasli said.

Malcolm Kirkup joins 바카라사이트 University of Westminster as dean of Westminster Business School. He moves from 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, where he was director of educational innovation.

Sally Shortall has taken up 바카라사이트 role of Duke of Northumberland professor of rural economy at Newcastle University. She has carried out research for 바카라사이트 United Nations, 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Claire Carney has been announced as 바카라사이트 first associate vice-principal (education) of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of Scotland, moving on from her position as executive strategist.