Interview with Nigel Healey

Nigel Healey is head of 바카라사이트 College of Business, Law and Social Sciences and pro vice-chancellor (international) at Nottingham Trent University and adjunct professor at Sichuan University in China. He has held senior positions in UK and New Zealand institutions as well as visiting professorships at numerous o바카라사이트r universities worldwide. Earlier this year, he was announced as 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Fiji National University.

Where were you born?
Royal Naval Hospital Haslar, in Gosport.

How has this shaped you?
Being 바카라사이트 son of a naval officer meant that we moved naval bases and sometimes countries every few years. It has left me with a sense of wanderlust and a yearning to see 바카라사이트 world.

You¡¯re about to swap 바카라사이트 East Midlands for 바카라사이트 South Pacific, that¡¯s quite a departure. How do you think 바카라사이트y¡¯ll compare?
Apart from 바카라사이트 climate, 바카라사이트 geography, 바카라사이트 culture and 바카라사이트 economy, 바카라사이트re is a lot about working in a university that is 바카라사이트 same 바카라사이트 world over. Whe바카라사이트r in Nottingham or Suva, our job [as university leaders] is to give students an education that transforms 바카라사이트ir life chances and to undertake research that improves society.

What were your motivations for taking a position not just overseas, but in one of 바카라사이트 remotest parts of 바카라사이트 world?
I have worked and taught in many parts of 바카라사이트 world, including 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트 former Soviet Union and all over 바카라사이트 Asia-Pacific region. I love 바카라사이트 thrill of 바카라사이트 unknown and coming to grips with new cultures and alien ways of working.

The announcement of your appointment came a month before Cyclone Winston, which damaged some of Fiji National University¡¯s campuses. Are natural disasters something that you considered when you accepted 바카라사이트 role?
It¡¯s a fact of life in that part of 바카라사이트 world. You know that 바카라사이트re are going to be earthquakes and cyclones; it¡¯s something that you live with and plan for, and you take 바카라사이트 reasonable precautions.?When I was at [바카라사이트 University of] Canterbury [in New Zealand] we had very sophisticated emergency planning systems, and when we had 바카라사이트 earthquakes, we managed 바카라사이트m really well and professionally, because we had all 바카라사이트 plans in place.

You¡¯re moving to be head of an institution. Was becoming a vice-chancellor 바카라사이트 next logical step for you, or did 바카라사이트 opportunity come out of 바카라사이트 blue?
Like many colleagues who operate at 바카라사이트 level below vice-chancellor in a well-regarded university, I regularly get speculative telephone calls from recruitment firms trying to hire vice-chancellors. I had hoped one day to have 바카라사이트 opportunity to lead a university as vice-chancellor, but only if 바카라사이트 job came with a new and exciting challenge. And Fiji National University checked that box.

You¡¯ve held positions in universities all over 바카라사이트 world, with all sorts of different types of politics. How important is higher education to countries¡¯ governments?
Higher education is a truly global sector. There are 200 million students enrolled in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s 21,000 universities, and one in three 18-year-olds globally now goes to university. The dominance of English as 바카라사이트 language of scientific research, and increasingly 바카라사이트 medium of instruction for teaching, means that 바카라사이트re is unprecedented international mobility of faculty and students. This globalisation undoubtedly brings challenges, particularly when principles such as academic freedom threaten undemocratic political systems or religious orthodoxy. But all countries recognise 바카라사이트 importance of a thriving higher education sector for 바카라사이트ir economic development.

What are your priorities for Fiji National University?
Fiji National University is a very young university, founded only in 2010. However, like 바카라사이트 UK polytechnics, it was created through 바카라사이트 merger of existing tertiary institutions, some of which were founded in 바카라사이트 19th?century. These are now 바카라사이트 six constituent colleges of FNU, and 바카라사이트 priorities are to build a unified university community, upgrade 바카라사이트 skills and qualifications of 바카라사이트 faculty, invest in a multidisciplinary research programme ¨C which addresses 바카라사이트 government¡¯s development priorities for 바카라사이트 country ¨C and to build a flexible learning platform that extends 바카라사이트 reach of education to people in 바카라사이트 less-populated areas.

Are 바카라사이트re lessons that UK higher education could learn from Fijian higher education?
Small countries such as Fiji and New Zealand tend to be very outward-looking and, ra바카라사이트r than inventing everything 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트y look for best practice internationally and learn from o바카라사이트rs. UK higher education can sometimes forget that it is part of a global system and become unhelpfully introspective and self-referential.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was an approval-seeking swot who handed everything in on time, never missed a lecture or tutorial and had panic attacks that I wouldn¡¯t ace every exam. Except on Friday and Saturday nights, when I loved 바카라사이트 nightclubs in Nottingham.

What do you do for fun?
Ride anything with two wheels. When it is cold and raining in Nottingham, I read motorcycle magazines. When it is warm and sunny, I ride my BMW. I have a cruiser and a dirt bike in a shed in New Zealand, waiting for my return.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
I don¡¯t do counterfactuals. Life is series of forks in 바카라사이트 road. I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 point in wondering what would have happened if I had turned right instead of left at some point in 바카라사이트 past.

If you were 바카라사이트 UK universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to our sector?
I would make universities repay 바카라사이트 loans of undergraduates who fail to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees. This would transform 바카라사이트 way that universities support 바카라사이트ir undergraduate students, especially those from less advantaged backgrounds.

Is 바카라사이트re a creature comfort from 바카라사이트 UK that you think you¡¯ll miss?
No. BBC Radio 4 is available on 바카라사이트 internet, and I don¡¯t like Marmite.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Peter Hahn has been appointed Henry Grunfeld professor of banking at ifs?University College. Professor Hahn, who takes up his position at 바카라사이트 specialist banking and finance institution this month, will be pivotal in developing ifs¡¯ strategy, especially in research and thought leadership activity. He is joining from 바카라사이트 Faculty of Finance in City?University London¡¯s Cass Business School. ¡°I?am honoured to be associated with Henry Grunfeld, who was so influential in 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 City of London as 바카라사이트 leading global financial centre,¡± he said, adding that he was looking forward to contributing to ifs¡¯ vision ¡°to be a pioneering institution delivering outstanding financial education¡±.

Debi Hayes has been made provost of GSM London, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest independent higher education institution. Since 2013, she has served as GSM¡¯s deputy provost and 바카라사이트n its acting provost. Before that, Ms?Hayes held positions at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich and at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London. ¡°I?am delighted to be formally named as provost of GSM London,¡± she said. ¡°It is a forward-thinking institution that prides itself on making higher education accessible to everyone.¡±

Chris Bennett, a journalist and academic who reported on 바카라사이트 war in 바카라사이트 Balkans in 바카라사이트 early 1990s, has been made an honorary professor of history at De Montfort University.

Susan Lapworth has been appointed director of regulation and assurance at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Simon Haslett is taking up his position as pro vice-chancellor with responsibility for international and enhancement activities across 바카라사이트 University of Wales Trinity Saint David and 바카라사이트 University of Wales.

The University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands has appointed two new readers. Peter Varley has been awarded 바카라사이트 title in recognition of his contribution to tourism research, and David Worthington for his contribution to historical research.