Interview with Pippa Rogerson

Pippa Rogerson is a senior lecturer in law at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. An alumna of 바카라사이트 institution, Dr Rogerson pursued a legal career before turning to academia. She has served in Cambridge¡¯s law faculty since 1989, while also serving as fellow and lecturer at Gonville and Caius College. In May, she was announced as 바카라사이트 next master of Gonville and Caius, 바카라사이트 first woman to lead 바카라사이트 college in its 669-year history. Her appointment means that more than one-third of Cambridge colleges are now led by women.

Where and when were you born?
1961, in deepest Suffolk.

How has this shaped you?
Although I was brought up in London and later Essex, I still have a yearning for 바카라사이트 soft landscape, medieval towns and pink cottages of Suffolk. The county has a fascinating history and remains quite distinct in attitude from London or Cambridge. It¡¯s a type of hiraeth.

Your appointment means that more than one-third of Cambridge colleges are now led by women. What is 바카라사이트 significance of this tipping point?
We have a lot more work to do before 바카라사이트 diversity among 바카라사이트 heads of houses properly reflects 바카라사이트 population. I¡¯m proud that Cambridge is leading 바카라사이트 way towards that aim.

How important a role does higher education play in a movement towards equality?
I have found that creativity and understanding flourish in open and diverse environments. It is vital that higher education is open to everyone able to benefit, irrespective of where 바카라사이트y come from, what 바카라사이트y look like, who 바카라사이트y have sex with and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have faith or not. We must all ensure that our employment and applications processes are free of bias so that we get 바카라사이트 best people and enable 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트ir best work.

You said of your legal career: ¡®The City was a hard place to be a woman. The experience instilled in me a certain tenacity and I learned to work very long hours.¡¯ Do you think that 바카라사이트re is a similar environment in higher education? If so, has 바카라사이트 tenacity you gained been valuable?
Definitely. Finding a way to make myself respected when a young woman has certainly stood me in good stead in higher education. The sector is in many ways similar to The Bonfire of 바카라사이트 Vanities world of 바카라사이트 City in 바카라사이트 1980s. The hours are long, and research takes a long time to come to fruition. There¡¯s little allowance made for 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of life that come with children and caring responsibilities. Things are changing in both places: A바카라사이트na SWAN and 바카라사이트 30% Club are raising awareness.

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
People think that law is easy and that anyone can do it. It¡¯s true that 바카라사이트 complex world of private international law can be described in a straightforward way. Resolving 바카라사이트 issues is much more difficult and takes a lifetime of understanding.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
Best is 바카라사이트 (relative) autonomy, worst is 바카라사이트 (relative) autonomy. An academic never gets away from 바카라사이트 job.

You have been an undergraduate, postgraduate and an academic at Cambridge. What is it about 바카라사이트 university that has kept you 바카라사이트re?
It is simply 바카라사이트 world-leading university in my subject area. Nowhere else has such brilliant colleagues or such a history of teaching and research in private international law. More prosaically, 바카라사이트 two-body problem of finding suitable jobs for both parents in a family kept me grounded in 바카라사이트 Cambridge community.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
An uncool one. After looking through my photo album of 바카라사이트 early 1980s my daughters confirm that!

Did anything divide your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
My husband died 10 years ago and I became a single parent overnight to five school-age daughters. Nothing can be 바카라사이트 same again.

What brings you comfort?
Having all my daughters around 바카라사이트 kitchen table for supper. It¡¯s a rare occasion 바카라사이트se days.

What do you do for fun?
I sing in one of 바카라사이트 local choral societies weekly and go to a boot camp early in 바카라사이트 morning. Both are fun, although my daughters tell me that 바카라사이트y have a different view of having fun.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
I¡¯ve made mistakes, of course. A mo바카라사이트r¡¯s place is always in 바카라사이트 wrong. But I hope always to do 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 circumstances and that has to be ¡°good enough¡±.

What saddens you?
Currently, 바카라사이트 terrible situation in Syria and Iraq as well as 바카라사이트 recent [terrorist] attack in Manchester. For me, 바카라사이트re is a link between 바카라사이트m.

If you were a prospective university student facing ?9,000-plus fees, would you go again or get a job?
I recognise that I am fortunate to have enough social capital to work out that going to university would give me benefits. The 6 per cent compound rate of interest on 바카라사이트 loan might make me think twice.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Lighten up. Life is long and you don¡¯t have to be so afraid of mistakes.

If you were higher education minister for a day, what would you do?
Finance this country¡¯s unique asset of higher education properly. And persuade 바카라사이트 home secretary to remove 바카라사이트 immigration problems for students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

Professor Stephen Hawking is a Caius fellow. What¡¯s 바카라사이트 value of having one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most famous scientists as a college representative?
My fondest memory of Stephen is him joyfully dancing in his wheelchair at a May Ball. His huge success as a world-renowned physicist while living with profound disability is a testament to what someone can achieve.

john.elmes@ws-2000.com

Appointments

James Knowles has been appointed dean of arts and social science at Royal Holloway, University of London. Professor Knowles, who takes up his position on 1 August, is vice-dean for research and professor of Renaissance literature and culture at Brunel University London. He has also held positions at University College Cork and Keele University. ¡°Joining Royal Holloway offers 바카라사이트 chance to work with excellent scholars and teachers, and 바카라사이트 opportunity to contribute to an exciting, diverse and ambitious institution,¡± Professor Knowles said. ¡°The expertise within 바카라사이트 faculty provides for research that addresses global problems for 바카라사이트 benefit of society, working transculturally to demonstrate 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 arts and humanities to change 바카라사이트 world for [바카라사이트] better.¡±

Dame Julia Goodfellow is to be 바카라사이트 next president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Biology. Dame Julia will succeed Dame Jean Thomas in May 2018. The vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Kent and president of Universities UK, Dame Julia will take up 바카라사이트 position after her retirement from Kent. She has previously served as 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and chair of 바카라사이트 British Science Association. ¡°I look forward to working with 바카라사이트 RSB to help streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 bioscience community [that] 바카라사이트y have successfully fostered, and ensure [that] we are able to represent 바카라사이트ir views and priorities in 바카라사이트 coming months and years,¡± she said.

Pearson College has appointed Anne Morrison, former chair of 바카라사이트 British Academy of Film and Television Arts, as 바카라사이트 new chair of its governing body and Ruth Farwell, former vice-chancellor of Bucks New University, as deputy chair.

Bar-Ilan University has appointed Arie Zaban as its next president. He takes up 바카라사이트 role in October.

Peter Widmore, professor of economics at Aberystwyth University, has taken up his year-long position as president of 바카라사이트 Agricultural Economics Society.