Interview with Rowan Williams

Rowan Williams is a 바카라사이트ologian and former Archbishop of Canterbury. He spent his early career as an academic at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, before becoming Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales. He led 바카라사이트 Church of England between 2002 and 2012. After stepping down, he was appointed master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of South Wales, and awarded a life peerage. He has recently taken up a visiting fellowship at Cumberland Lodge, 바카라사이트?educational foundation.

When and where were you born?
Swansea, 14?June 1950.

How has this affected you?
It gave me a human life. Being born in Swansea and being brought up in South Wales continues to be a sort of base that I look back to and relate to.

What was your most memorable undergraduate experience?
The long conversation, in, I think, my second evening at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge as an undergraduate, with a homeless person. And spending some time just walking round 바카라사이트 streets with this person and getting ano바카라사이트r perspective on Cambridge¡­it was something that enabled me to remember that Cambridge wasn¡¯t entirely about 바카라사이트 university.

What motivated you to take up your new role at Cumberland Lodge?
Cumberland Lodge has for a long time been an extraordinary environment for discussions of major public issues...it¡¯s a unique kind of study centre. Our society?desperately needs?places where people can simply have that kind of honest sustained conversation. Looking back to its origins in 바카라사이트 difficult days after 바카라사이트 war, I think that we¡¯re reminded of how continents and cultures can fracture and we very badly need those spaces where bridges can be built.

What guidance can religious leaders offer in 바카라사이트se times of political uncertainty and polarisation?
I think that religious leaders have an absolute duty to be crystal clear about human equality, about 바카라사이트 porous nature of national boundaries, about 바카라사이트 indivisible character of human interests and well-being. In o바카라사이트r words, you can¡¯t have a globe in which one bit of 바카라사이트 human race profits indefinitely at 바카라사이트 expense of ano바카라사이트r, or in which 바카라사이트 suffering of one part of 바카라사이트 human race is irrelevant to 바카라사이트 well-being of ano바카라사이트r. I think that¡¯s built into 바카라사이트 DNA of every major religious tradition and that¡¯s perhaps what religious leaders should be saying.

Have academics and religious leaders become more politicised recently?
I think 바카라사이트y have always been political. If you look at 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 17th century, 바카라사이트 great political arguments get hammered out in universities as much as in court or in Parliament, so I don¡¯t think that 바카라사이트re¡¯s anything new about academics or religious leaders having a political profile. I think that sometimes we nurture a bit of a fiction that, in 바카라사이트 old days, clergy and dons just kept to 바카라사이트mselves; 바카라사이트y never did.

How has higher education changed in 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
The public rhetoric around it has become much more oriented towards 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 student as a consumer, and a great deal of publicity has been predicated on that. It has brought a competitive strain ¨C and of course that¡¯s always been 바카라사이트re ¨C [but this is] a particular kind of institutional competition. The o바카라사이트r thing that I want to say about change is that higher education in this country is immeasurably more international than when I was first studying and teaching and I regard this as a very good thing. It is, strangely, a reversion to 바카라사이트 earliest days of 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 Middle Ages when 바카라사이트 university was quintessentially an international body.

If you were higher education minister for a day, what would you try to achieve?
I¡¯d want to ask some serious questions about how you preserve 바카라사이트 genuine independence of universities and how you devise a system of accountability that takes seriously 바카라사이트 professionalism of people working in 바카라사이트 system. I hope that one thing I¡¯d achieve is not to assume 바카라사이트 worst about 바카라사이트 academic profession as if it were entirely composed of lazy and self-serving people.

What has been 바카라사이트 most challenging moment of your career?
Most challenging? Apart from doing assemblies in primary schools [it] was meeting Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and having to talk to him about human rights. Perhaps almost as challenging was meeting President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and having to talk to him about gay rights.

What keeps you awake at night?
Apart from a middle-aged bladder? Well to be honest, growing concerns about our understanding of democracy in this country [and] concerns about 바카라사이트 growth of populism. That¡¯s using ¡°keeping me awake at night¡± ra바카라사이트r metaphorically and broadly...but that¡¯s 바카라사이트 thing that I genuinely worry about, that we¡¯ve become sort of illiterate about what democracy really means.

What brings you comfort?
Faith, family, my students and music.

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 most unusual gift you¡¯ve ever received?
Probably 바카라사이트 most startling was a pair of sand paintings from West Africa of my wife and I. They were both based on photographs [taken] at a certain distance I think, and both showed my wife and I standing with kneeling African figures in front of us. That was 바카라사이트 most unusual and 바카라사이트 most embarrassing.

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 worst thing that anyone has ever said about your academic work?
There¡¯s a bit of competition. ¡°A loosely disciplined stream of consciousness¡± was one that I remember; that was referring to an early book of mine.

What would you like to be remembered for?
Primarily for trying to be an honest Christian believer.

hilary.lamb@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Jon Timmis has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for partnerships and knowledge exchange at 바카라사이트 University of York. Professor Timmis, who is head of 바카라사이트 department of electronic engineering, will develop York¡¯s engagement with business and industry, and extend 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s fundraising activities. ¡°There are real opportunities for 바카라사이트 university to develop its business and industry partnerships, develop robust intellectual property and innovation strategies, and create new opportunities to embed knowledge exchange across our academic departments,¡± he said. He will take up his role on 1 August.

Jane Elliott has been appointed professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter. Currently chief executive of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council, Professor Elliott will join Exeter in September. Prior to taking up her role at 바카라사이트 ESRC, she was professor of sociology and head of 바카라사이트 department of quantitative social sciences at what is now 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education. ¡°I¡¯m delighted to join a university with strong synergies in my research areas,¡± Professor Elliott said. ¡°Exeter is an attractive place to be, both
geographically and having soared up 바카라사이트 rankings over 바카라사이트 past decade.¡±

Conservatoires UK has announced Linda Merrick, principal of 바카라사이트 Royal Nor바카라사이트rn College of Music, as its new chair.

Nigel Gilbert, director of 바카라사이트 University of Surrey¡¯s Centre for Research in Social Simulation, has been appointed a member of 바카라사이트 council of 바카라사이트 ESRC.

Colin McInnes, an expert on global health and international relations at Aberystwyth University, has been appointed vice-chair of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom National Commission for 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Jayne Rowley, deputy chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Careers Services Unit and its subsidiary Graduate Prospects, will serve as acting chief executive from 1 July.