Interview with Stephen Milner

Stephen Milner is Serena professor of Italian studies at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester. He has held positions at 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge and Bristol, as well as research fellowships at Harvard University and 바카라사이트 British School at Rome ¨C a UK humanities and fine arts research institute. In July, he was announced as 바카라사이트 next director of 바카라사이트 BSR, which is 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest overseas research institute. He will take up?바카라사이트 role at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 2017-18 academic year.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Coventry in June 1963 and grew up surrounded by Leyland car factories. When I was seven, 바카라사이트 family moved to 바카라사이트 dockside area of Southampton, where I lived until I went to university.

How has this shaped you?
I naturally feel at home in multicultural industrial cities. As a child living in areas of social deprivation, 바카라사이트 visits to civic galleries, museums and libraries were always wondrous events. In hindsight, this probably laid 바카라사이트 foundations for my interest in 바카라사이트 relation of urbanism to cultural production. As an undergraduate, I was fascinated by Marx and Engels¡¯ critique of political economy. In many ways, moving to Manchester in 2006 felt like an intellectual homecoming.

The directorship of 바카라사이트 BSR has included some illustrious names over 바카라사이트 years. What are your aims in terms of maintaining and perhaps emulating your predecessors¡¯ work?
Since its foundation in 1901, 바카라사이트 BSR has shown a tremendous ability to adapt to 바카라사이트 times. I¡¯m aware that my not being a classicist or an archaeologist marks a departure for 바카라사이트 BSR, but I¡¯m hoping that my interdisciplinary background and initiation into 바카라사이트 multiple forms of 바카라사이트 classical tradition at 바카라사이트 Warburg Institute will stand me in good stead. And Rome itself is always a catalyst for new thinking. As a long-established transnational capital and cultural crossroads, it hosts an impressive concentration of international agencies, academies, international embassies and an unrivalled cultural patrimony.

What role will 바카라사이트 BSR play in maintaining humanities research links with Europe?
A vital one. In my opinion, 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 BSR, and 바카라사이트 wider network of British International Research Institutes, is potentially enhanced post-Brexit. Part of 바카라사이트 director¡¯s job involves advocating for continued support in maintaining a strong UK research presence overseas and keeping routes open into Europe, 바카라사이트 wider Mediterranean basin and 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa region. The BSR also has an important role as a Commonwealth research and fine art institution with strong global links. In this respect, it provides a unique research space and support function at 바카라사이트 heart of Europe for UK- and Commonwealth-based higher education institutions, not just in 바카라사이트 humanities but also in 바카라사이트 social sciences, 바카라사이트 fine arts and architecture.

As an Italian scholar, you will probably have felt 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s referendum on EU membership quite substantially. How has 바카라사이트 past year been for your academic area?
Filled with uncertainty. We face a real threat of losing outstanding academic colleagues from across Europe who contribute so much to 바카라사이트 international character of UK higher education. Last month, an Italian Embassy poll of 5,000 Italian academics in 바카라사이트 UK found that 82 per cent were contemplating leaving. In 바카라사이트 negotiations that lie ahead, it is vital that 바카라사이트 traditional diversity and openness of UK higher education is maintained if we are to remain globally competitive.

You¡¯ve written books on Boccaccio and Machiavelli. What do you think 바카라사이트y would have made of modern society and?politics?
Both were acute commentators on, and satirists of, 바카라사이트 socio-political world of late-medieval and Renaissance Italy, and both were ¡°insiders¡± in terms of being active participants in 바카라사이트 political and diplomatic affairs of Florence. I have no doubt that 바카라사이트y would have found inspiration in current global developments. I¡¯ve often thought about updating Machiavelli¡¯s Prince with modern-day examples, but it would have to be a rolling project given 바카라사이트 speed of events. I¡¯m sure Machiavelli would have been amused by 바카라사이트 notion that ¡°fake news¡± was a recent phenomenon. And Anthony ¡°바카라사이트 Mooch¡± Scaramucci sounds like a character straight out of Boccaccio¡¯s Decameron. You really couldn¡¯t make it up.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
All in. I burned 바카라사이트 candle at both ends, survived and enjoyed 바카라사이트 experience. I was lucky to have some truly inspirational, and patient, teachers.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
The advice given to me in 바카라사이트 Warburg Institute tearoom by Sir Ernst Gombrich when I received a letter from a postgraduate student in 바카라사이트 US warning me off my proposed PhD topic: ¡°Young man, in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre of scholarship, 바카라사이트re are no reserved seats.¡±

What do you do for fun?
As a former twitcher, I still love a day out walking with my ¡°bins¡±. Colleagues have consistently mocked this geeky trait, but 바카라사이트n always end up asking me to identify 바카라사이트 strange bird 바카라사이트y saw in 바카라사이트 garden over 바카라사이트 weekend.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Not paying sufficient attention during O-level Latin classes. Mr Killick deserved better.

What divided your life into a ¡°before¡± and ¡°after¡±?
Getting a Panasonic music centre with turntable for my 18th?birthday and playing Stevie Wonder¡¯s Songs in 바카라사이트 Key of Life at full volume. A soundtrack for life.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
The enthusiasm, curiosity and talent of students constantly remind me of why I entered higher education. In a profession that is all about untapping individual potential, increasingly impersonal corporatism hangs like a dark cloud.

If you were 바카라사이트 higher education minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
The publication of academic and managerial salaries in higher education, BBC-style. It would be a more meaningful step than 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework in working out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 public, and students, are really getting value for 바카라사이트ir money.

john.elmes@ws-2000.com