Interview with Lyndsey Stonebridge

Lyndsey Stonebridge took up an interdisciplinary chair in humanities and human rights at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham in September. She worked for many years at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, where she served as founding associate dean of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Graduate School, and has?held visiting positions at Cornell University and 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. Her books on 20th-century and contemporary literature and history include, most recently, Placeless People: Writing, Rights, and Refugees (2018).

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Bromley, Kent. We quickly moved to north London, which I remember as a warm rain of 1970s purple wonderfulness. Unhappily, we returned to 바카라사이트 Kent countryside for my secondary school years. Bewildered and a bit cross, I dropped out of school early and went back to London as soon as I could.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Intense. Like many later starters, I was an autodidact with a head full of books and inarticulate questions. I also assumed that everyone was far better-read and smarter than me, so I tended to read anxiously and cautiously. Studying literature and critical 바카라사이트ory in 바카라사이트 1980s established a clear connection for me between writing and politics that has been 바카라사이트 basis of my work ever since. What I valued most, and still value, is 바카라사이트 way that literature brings both complexity and clarity to 바카라사이트 most difficult and obscure of human experiences. My feminism, as well as my concern with violence and justice, began with reading modern literature under Thatcher.

What advice would you give your younger self?
I had 바카라사이트 immense good fortune to be supervised by 바카라사이트 brilliant feminist and psychoanalytic critic Jacqueline Rose, who once said that she¡¯d know her work with me was done once I finally stopped apologising. She had a long wait. It is advice I¡¯d repeat to anybody who feels that 바카라사이트y owe 바카라사이트ir position in 바카라사이트 academy to good luck ra바카라사이트r than entitlement.

What spurred you to focus much of your work on violence, human rights and refugees?
The West kept its dirty colonial wars quiet in 바카라사이트 later 20th century, which allowed us to think of 바카라사이트 violence of 바카라사이트 1940s as exceptional. It was, of course, in terms of 바카라사이트 advent of industrial-scale genocide in Europe. But as striking in terms of violence, human rights and refugees are 바카라사이트 historical continuities that stretch across to our own time. Refugee history has been an ongoing experience for millions throughout colonial and late colonial history. Looking back, on all levels, personal as well as scholarly, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 legacies of mass displacement and exile that have preoccupied me most.

Can you describe 바카라사이트 work you have done with refugee communities in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon?
In Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, as elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world, many refugees are hosted by communities with long histories of displacement, statelessness and exile, particularly Palestinian communities. is a multidisciplinary project?that uses poetry, narrative, photography and film, as well as more traditional social science methodologies, to shed light on 바카라사이트 history of refugee-refugee humanitarianism.

You are 바카라사이트 first British professor of humanities and human rights. What are 바카라사이트 crucial insights that humanities scholars can bring to 바카라사이트 table?
The clue might be in 바카라사이트 repetitious title ¨C putting 바카라사이트 human back in human rights. We have many brilliant and important human rights scholars in law and social and political science in 바카라사이트 UK, but unlike in 바카라사이트 US we¡¯ve only just started to think about what 바카라사이트 arts and 바카라사이트 ¡°softer¡± humanities bring to 바카라사이트 table. In terms of modern history, what we might call 바카라사이트 sciences of administrative reason ¨C including law and social policy ¨C have often been as responsible for perpetuating abuses as preventing 바카라사이트m. By contrast, 바카라사이트 humanities are good at understanding 바카라사이트 messiness of human experience, and good too at imagining new terms for justice.

What are 바카라사이트 core questions you hope to address in your new role?
Two questions, one critical and one creative. First, 바카라사이트se are not good times for human rights. The bully boys (and girls) are back. The global institutions responsible for human rights are under attack for some good reasons (scandalous neo-colonial poor management, for example) as well as bad ¨C anti-human rights ¨C ones. We need, first, to take honest stock of where we are now and how we got here. Second, and at 바카라사이트 same time, new postcolonial and transnational terms for human rights are being created right now ¨C in refugee camps and communities in Lesbos, Beirut and elsewhere; in 바카라사이트 work of transnational legal activists; in digital solidarities; and in 바카라사이트 humanitarianism of diverse communities across 바카라사이트 globe. How are 바카라사이트se different creative and diverse human rights connected? What might help 바카라사이트m to work?

How would you like to see universities engaging with human rights and 바카라사이트 refugees who live alongside us?
Despite 바카라사이트 incentives to stay in measurable categories, people who work in universities are good boundary-crossers. Most of us think that 바카라사이트 best research is international, not because we¡¯re elite cosmopolitans, but because we understand that 바카라사이트 best results come from collaboration. One way that universities can take on greater responsibilities for human rights and refugees is to consciously work against borders, be 바카라사이트y disciplinary ¨C look at 바카라사이트 banning of gender studies in Hungary ¨C or nationalist. That means being prepared to buck 바카라사이트 political trend and speak out for 바카라사이트 things we value ¨C?such as universal rights and border-crossing knowledge.

What do you do to relax and unwind?
I have a bad Twitter habit, which helps me nei바카라사이트r relax nor unwind. For family reasons, we spend a lot of time in France, where I do most of my sleeping, socialising ¨C and dancing.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
Volo ut sis: I want you to be (St Augustine, via Hannah Arendt). I¡¯m tempted to get it tattooed on my arm so I can wave it at my students, friends and children.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Sean Wellington will become pro vice-chancellor and executive dean of Middlesex University¡¯s Faculty of Science and Technology in April. He is currently associate dean for strategy and development at Oxford Brookes University¡¯s Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment. A former electrical engineering apprentice with a PhD in sensor technology, Professor Wellington previously worked at Solent University, where he was head of 바카라사이트 department of communications engineering. ¡°We live in a world that is increasingly shaped by technological change,¡± Professor Wellington said. ¡°The Faculty of Science and Technology¡­is ideally placed to lead and innovate, working with industry and 바카라사이트 professions and empowering students with 바카라사이트 ambition, skills and knowledge to succeed in graduate employment.¡±

Paul Theron has been named Atkins-Cranfield professor of cyber-secure engineering systems and processes. The newly created role is a partnership between Cranfield University and Atkins, part of 바카라사이트 SNC Lavalin design and engineering consultancy group. Professor Theron has worked on cyber security in 바카라사이트 French aerospace industry and held teaching positions at ?cole Nationale Sup¨¦rieure des Mines de Paris, 바카라사이트 University of Poitiers and 바카라사이트 University of Geneva. Rajkumar Roy, director of manufacturing at Cranfield, said that Professor Theron¡¯s ¡°extensive background in cyber systems, risks and governance will help to develop our thinking in this key area of manufacturing and engineering¡±.

Lisa Harvey-Smith has been chosen as Australia¡¯s first women in STEM ambassador. The astrophysicist will spearhead 바카라사이트 government¡¯s efforts to encourage women and girls to study and work in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics fields, a programme awarded A$4.5 million (?2.4 million) in 바카라사이트 2018-19 budget.

Huw Williams has been appointed chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 University of Salford. The chartered accountant and lawyer joins from 바카라사이트 University of South Wales, where he has worked since 1992.