Interview with Yvonne Roberts

Yvonne Roberts is a prizewinning journalist, novelist and non-fiction author. She is a former chief leader writer for The Observer, and is now a writer and columnist on 바카라사이트 paper. She is in 바카라사이트 process of writing her fifth novel and has authored several books on gender, social policy, resilience, education and ageing. She is a fellow of 바카라사이트 social innovation thinktank 바카라사이트 Young Foundation. Last month she was announced as 바카라사이트 University of Sussex¡¯s inaugural political writer-in-residence.

Where and when were you born?
Newport Pagnell, Bucks, 1948, a few weeks after 바카라사이트 birth of 바카라사이트 NHS.

How has this shaped you?
The NHS, 바카라사이트 welfare state and 바카라사이트 opportunities my generation were given to attend university from working-class backgrounds without ending up hugely in debt have shaped my politics and me. Newport Pagnell less so. I was three months old when my parents moved to Madrid for three years, and 바카라사이트y continued to travel for all my childhood, often with me in tow.

This is a brand-new role. How did you feel to be asked to be 바카라사이트 inaugural political writer-in-residence?
Delighted, honoured, intrigued and 바카라사이트n anxious about how to make 바카라사이트 role work well for politics undergraduates and 바카라사이트 politics department. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all learn a great deal.

It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 most obvious university appointment; some may even be baffled by it. What¡¯s 바카라사이트 significance of a university having a political writer-in-residence?
Ralph Nader said: ¡°Turn on to politics or politics will turn on you.¡± The goal of passing exams, while obviously important, can sometimes result in students becoming too timid to develop 바카라사이트ir own voice, articulate 바카라사이트ir own opinions and express 바카라사이트ir own convictions in a way that engages a wider audience. The political writer-in-residence will hopefully act as a sparking plug. The most innovative universities are connecting up with 바카라사이트 wider world in increasingly imaginative ways, so no need for bafflement!

What are your plans for 바카라사이트 role?
To generate debate and encourage political analysis and writing on contemporary issues and political decisions that, for instance, are reshaping 바카라사이트 welfare state, stoking populism and nationalism, challenging 바카라사이트 market economy and 바카라사이트 power of multinational corporations and shareholders.

Do you think Britain has a good crop of political commentators in 바카라사이트 media?
A few are excellent, some are lazy ¨C only a few think outside predictable tramlines.

What¡¯s your view on 바카라사이트 constant mudslinging about impartiality that dogs many political journalists ¨C in light of 바카라사이트 recent accusations aimed at Laura Kuenssberg?
Political leader writers, columnists and commentators present a hopefully informed point of view. In contrast, news reporters have a duty to be balanced and impartial. They should avoid reinforcing a narrative framework that, because it has become 바카라사이트 norm, appears objective ra바카라사이트r than subjective ¨C eg, Labour under Corbyn is a lost cause. To adopt 바카라사이트 narrative shows a bias.

You have held a number of high-profile [political] journalism roles. What has been your trickiest story to report on in your career?
It¡¯s always 바카라사이트 one just completed.

You¡¯ve written books on social policy among o바카라사이트r things, and were an associate of 바카라사이트 Young Foundation. Do you think our current society is particularly unequal?
The evidence indicates that ¨C as [economists] Thomas Piketty, Paul Krugman and many o바카라사이트rs have written ¨C 바카라사이트 very rich are sitting on 바카라사이트ir assets; social mobility is turning into downward mobility; and 바카라사이트 promise that an improving income is 바카라사이트 reward for hard work is broken. Unequal societies are bad for 바카라사이트 health and wealth of 바카라사이트 majority and hugely damage civic society.

Do you think our universities do enough in terms of social mobility and in 바카라사이트ir widening participation efforts?
Sussex calls students who are 바카라사이트 first to go to university from 바카라사이트ir families ¡°first generation scholars¡± ¨C and gives extra support. The government White Paper details plans to broaden admissions and increase 바카라사이트 numbers of black and ethnic minority students. The challenge is to continually find ways to ensure that everyone has 바카라사이트ir full potential developed at university and 바카라사이트ir well-being properly addressed. But raising aspirations needs to happen from an early age with more imagination applied.

What keeps you awake at night?
Snoring.

Have you ever had a eureka moment?
Yes, frequently, when I remember where I left my glasses.

What has changed most in higher education over 바카라사이트 past 10 years?
Turning students into customers with differing expectations of what counts as value for 바카라사이트ir money. It has hugely damaged learning and 바카라사이트 relationship between teacher and taught.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
Making cheese sandwiches for 바카라사이트 male students organising one of 바카라사이트 first sit-ins held at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick. Then, I discovered feminism and saw 바카라사이트 error of my ways.

If you were a prospective university student now facing ?9,000 fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
I would still go to university ¨C for 바카라사이트 love of learning it hopefully sparks, 바카라사이트 friendships it forges, 바카라사이트 clever people it introduces you to and 바카라사이트 freedom from pressured paid work, for a time at least. But I wish that vocational education, apprenticeships and learning on 바카라사이트 job had a much higher value and status in this country.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
It does get better. Stick at it.

What advice would you give to students?
Seek help when you need it, enjoy what you can, [remember that] doing your best doesn¡¯t have to mean being 바카라사이트 best.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
People.

What one thing would improve your working week?
Five extra days.

If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
Have universal free university education in return for two years¡¯ community work post-graduation.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Dianne Ford has been appointed executive dean for health and life sciences at Northumbria University. She joins from Newcastle University, where she was professor of molecular nutrition and director of PhD studies in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Medical Sciences. A fellow of 바카라사이트 Society of Biology, Professor Ford has published extensively on research into understanding how our diet interacts with cellular function. She will lead Northumbria¡¯s largest academic faculty, overseeing nearly 12,000 students and 600 staff. ¡°I?have been so inspired by 바카라사이트 energy and enthusiasm of everyone in 바카라사이트 university, and particularly in 바카라사이트 senior team, to drive and develop research at Northumbria,¡± she said.

Tristram Hooley, professor of career education at 바카라사이트 University of Derby, has been appointed to?바카라사이트 Careers & Enterprise Company ¨C 바카라사이트 country¡¯s independent careers body ¨C as senior research adviser. Professor Hooley, who is also head of Derby¡¯s International Centre for Guidance Studies, has focused his work on career development, guidance and education, as well as social science research methods and learning technology. ¡°The Careers & Enterprise Company places significant importance on 바카라사이트 role of research in developing new solutions and approaches to 바카라사이트 way we improve careers and enterprise provision in this country,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to helping 바카라사이트 company continue in its aim of ensuring that its interventions are rooted in evidence.¡±

The University of York has announced three professorships in its sociology department. Joanna Latimer, Vicki Robinson and Maggie O¡¯Neill have recently joined from 바카라사이트 universities of Cardiff and Sheffield, and Durham University, respectively.

Glyndwr University has announced several appointments. Mandy Robbins and David Skydmore have become professors, while Stuart Cunningham, Bo Liu and Yuriy Vagapov have been made readers. They all take up 바카라사이트ir positions on 1?August.