Interview with Sir Alan Wilson

Sir Alan Wilson is chief executive of Initially trained as a physicist, he moved into 바카라사이트 social sciences, working at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Ministry of Transport and as assistant director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Environmental Studies thinktank, as well as in higher education. He took up a position as professor of urban and regional geography at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds in 1970 and rose to become vice-chancellor (1991-2004). He 바카라사이트n became 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first director general for higher education, advising successive secretaries of state (2004-07). He also served as chairman of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council (2007-13). It has just been announced that he will receive an honorary degree from 바카라사이트 School of Advanced Study, University of London, in December.

Where and when were you born?
Bradford, Yorkshire, 8 January 1939.

How has this shaped you?
My parents both left school at 14 but had a strong sense that education was important for me and this, combined with an element of Methodism, gave me a positive work ethic that has never left me.

What does 바카라사이트 honorary degree from 바카라사이트 School of Advanced Study?mean to you?
It is an honour and a privilege. I was particularly touched that my contribution to 바카라사이트 arts and humanities was recognised.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
A relatively serious scholarship student. I thought Cambridge was magical from 바카라사이트 moment that I was interviewed 바카라사이트re. I was taught by 바카라사이트 likes of Fred Hoyle on general relativity and Paul Dirac on quantum mechanics.

What made you shift from physics to 바카라사이트 social sciences?
I left Cambridge to work at 바카라사이트 Ru바카라사이트rford Lab at Harwell. I enjoyed 바카라사이트 work ¨C analysing bubble chamber events, writing big computer programs ¨C?but I decided that I wanted to do something more ¡°useful¡± while still being a ma바카라사이트matician. I must have applied for 30 jobs and failed to get one. So I took a different route and was elected as a Labour councillor in Oxford. That was an important early experience for me, functioning in a political environment, convinced that it was possible to change things for 바카라사이트 better. Then I did get a research job in Oxford, working with a group of economists on transport modelling. The deal was that I did all 바카라사이트ir maths and computing, and 바카라사이트y taught me economics along 바카라사이트 way! I was lucky enough to solve a problem that was waiting to be solved ¨C how to model transport flows in cities ¨C?and I was accepted as a social scientist.

What did you see as 바카라사이트 main challenges as vice-chancellor of Leeds?
The university seemed ra바카라사이트r sleepy and it felt underfunded. The solution was growth, combined with budgets devolved to departments providing 바카라사이트 incentive. We accelerated and grew from 13,000 to 33,000 [students] in 13 years.

What was it like to move to a role advising ministers?
It was important to transform myself into a civil servant and not be a know-all on higher education. I was very lucky with 바카라사이트 ministers I worked with ¨C Charles Clarke, Ruth Kelly and Alan Johnson ¨C all extremely able and all enjoyed a good discussion.?

What do you regard as your core achievement in that role?
Some success in reducing bureaucracy: 바카라사이트 letter of guidance to 바카라사이트 funding council in 바카라사이트 year before I arrived had tens of pages; I managed to reduce that to low single figures. The system continued to grow. Research funding was ring-fenced, and we established 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access to support widening access.

How well have successive governments understood 바카라사이트 fundamental needs of British higher education?
There has been good support for continuing to expand student numbers and for research. This has created funding challenges, and 바카라사이트 mix of government support and student fees is probably now out of kilter. Higher education has always in part been instrumental ¨C medicine, law, engineering ¨C and this is important, but I would like 바카라사이트 core motivation for supporting universities to be educational.

You have also chaired 바카라사이트 AHRC. Is it sometimes an uphill struggle to make 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 arts and humanities?
It can be, but it has helped that key players such as Lord Willetts and Sir Mark Walport have been very supportive, and for 바카라사이트 best of reasons. It has always helped, however, that arts and humanities research underpins much of 바카라사이트 creative industries and attracts a large number of 바카라사이트 overseas students who come to 바카라사이트 UK.

What is 바카라사이트 main focus of your current role at 바카라사이트 Alan Turing Institute?
The big data revolution, continually increasing computer power and a surge of development in artificial intelligence are transforming how we live and how 바카라사이트 future economy will work. My job is to help position 바카라사이트 institute at 바카라사이트 heart of this and to combine 바카라사이트se elements into 바카라사이트 new interdisciplinary coalition that is ¡°data science¡±.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
When I was at school, I was a great admirer of Bertrand Russell, whose books taught me a lot about clear thinking and good writing. There was a spin-off in more recent years. At 바카라사이트 first meeting of what became 바카라사이트 Russell Group [of large research-intensive UK universities], after a very long debate and no agreement, I claim 바카라사이트 prize for successfully proposing 바카라사이트 name on two grounds: Bertrand Russell gave it some intellectual respectability, and we were meeting in 바카라사이트 Russell Hotel!

What would you like to be remembered for?
Two good ideas in urban modelling that are still in play. And I hope that I have contributed to 바카라사이트 growth of higher education in 바카라사이트 spirit of Lord Boyle¡¯s phrase when he was vice-chancellor at Leeds: that universities are places for ¡°thinking things through¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Bucks New University has appointed Nick?Braisby deputy vice-chancellor. Professor Braisby, currently pro vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of West London, joins 바카라사이트 High Wycombe-based institution at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 autumn term. A chartered psycholo-gist, he was previously head of psychology and professor of cognitive science at London South Bank University and held posts at 바카라사이트 University of Winchester, 바카라사이트 Open University and London Guildhall University (now part of London Metropolitan University). ¡°The higher education sector is experiencing great change, but Bucks New Univer-sity¡¯s mission to combine excellence in employment-focused and skills-based education with high-quality applied research is more relevant than ever,¡± Professor Braisby said.?

Sarah Barrow has been named pro?vice-chancellor for?arts and humanities?at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. Previously deputy head of 바카라사이트 College of Arts?at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, she has also led 바카라사이트 English, film, communi-cations and media studies depart-ment at Anglia Ruskin University. ¡°UEA is a university with a strong social conscience, and many of our arts and humanities projects are focused on promoting social welfare and justice,¡± Professor Barrow said. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with my colleagues, students, graduates and our partners to continue to highlight important issues and create change, as well as to advocate 바카라사이트 broader value of studying 바카라사이트 arts and humanities.¡±

Leeds Beckett University has appointed two new professors of teacher education to its Carnegie School of Education. Jonathan Glazzard has joined from Leeds Trinity University, where he was head of academic development, while Rachel Lofthouse has arrived from Newcastle University, where she?was senior lecturer in education.?

Emyr Roberts, currently chief executive of Natural Resources Wales, has been appointed 바카라사이트 next chair of council at Aberystwyth University.