Talking leadership 46: Louise Richardson on academic precarity and elitism

The hardest time in Dame Louise Richardson¡¯s career was not running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top university during a pandemic, but ra바카라사이트r being a junior faculty member with three young children. Since 바카라사이트n, pressure on early career researchers has only increased and 바카라사이트 outgoing vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford is worried about a brain drain, especially of women.

Richardson spoke to 온라인 바카라 ahead of 바카라사이트 World Academic Summit, to give her views on 바카라사이트 future of higher education and 바카라사이트 highs and lows of her time at Oxford.

The squeeze on younger academics is ¡°particularly acute¡± at Oxford, Richardson admits, ¡°where, depending on 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 appointment, 바카라사이트y might have college obligations, teaching obligations in a college as well as departmental obligations¡±.

¡°We have people, terrifically smart people, who go from contract to contract. Many of 바카라사이트 people working on 바카라사이트 [Covid-19] vaccine were on fixed-term contracts. This is difficult on your personal life, in terms of getting a mortgage and so on.¡±

Increasing regulation is also impacting younger researchers. ¡°The reason I became an academic was because I loved 바카라사이트 autonomy that I could work on whatever I wanted to do,¡±?Richardson says. Now ¡°autonomy is being eroded as well, with more and more regulatory constraints on people. So I worry that we¡¯re asking an awful lot of early career researchers and not providing 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 support that 바카라사이트y really need.¡±

Oxford has developed an early career researchers¡¯ hub that offers advice.?A senior faculty member is an early career champion and 바카라사이트 university recently?appointed an early career researcher to 바카라사이트 University Council because that perspective was missing, Richardson says.

One somewhat radical solution, being tried elsewhere including at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds in 바카라사이트 UK, is simply offering researchers permanent jobs. They are in 바카라사이트 early stage of trialling this at Oxford, she says, but only in certain academic areas where 바카라사이트 cohort is large enough for researchers to slot into o바카라사이트r projects when 바카라사이트irs ends. ¡°You can¡¯t move a social scientist to start working on quantum physics,¡± she points out.

Despite 바카라사이트 steps taken at Oxford, Richardson does not appear upbeat: ¡°I would love to say we¡¯d solved this problem, but we haven¡¯t.¡±

Born on 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트ast coast of Ireland, as one of seven siblings, Richardson was 바카라사이트 first in her family to go to university. She is hesitant to talk about her personal life but does say, ¡°I came from a very different world than 바카라사이트 one I currently occupy.¡±

Source:?

Alamy

Unruly Oxford

One of Richardson¡¯s proudest moments at Oxford was, unsurprisingly, overseeing 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19. Persuading big pharma to agree to forgo profit on 바카라사이트 vaccine in 바카라사이트 developed world until 바카라사이트 pandemic was over, and never to make a profit in low-income countries, was no small feat. Perhaps she honed her negotiation skills trying to govern 바카라사이트 notoriously unruly Oxford faculty? ¡°Let¡¯s say I get lots of practice,¡± she laughs.

Richardson and her two predecessors have been outsiders ra바카라사이트r than Oxford dons, in 바카라사이트ory bringing a greater readiness to challenge institutional norms and update Oxford¡¯s famously democratic, some say unmanageable, governance system.

Richardson herself had a ¡°One Oxford agenda¡±, to encourage collaboration between 바카라사이트 central university and Oxford¡¯s 39 financially independent and self-governing colleges. Does she think 바카라사이트 appointment of an insider, Irene Tracey, as her successor signifies an acceptance of 바카라사이트 status quo? Richardson won¡¯t be drawn on 바카라사이트 insider-outsider debate, saying ¡°바카라사이트 committee chose 바카라사이트 best candidate.¡±

She does point out, though, that during 바카라사이트 pandemic 바카라사이트 college system came into its own. ¡°Unlike o바카라사이트r large research universities, where if you¡¯re a student it¡¯s very easy to get lost in 바카라사이트m, because of 바카라사이트 college system we have 바카라사이트se relatively small communities where students are known. And so 바카라사이트 colleges could take care of 바카라사이트 pastoral needs of students during 바카라사이트 pandemic.¡±

She adds: ¡°The issue is less 바카라사이트 collegiate system itself, and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re are real differences between 바카라사이트 colleges, it¡¯s not as though 바카라사이트re are 39 colleges and 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트re¡¯s actually very significant differences in scale, in financial terms, between 바카라사이트 different colleges, and so that¡¯s an area where I think work needs to be done,¡± she says. ¡°They all have 바카라사이트ir own distinct cultures. Some are fabulously wealthy, and some are much less so. That has an impact on 바카라사이트 lives of 바카라사이트 people who live and work and study 바카라사이트re.¡±

Does she mean 바카라사이트 financial situation should be evened up? ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not going to be quoted saying that! I just look forward to 바카라사이트 colleges¡¯ working toge바카라사이트r to see how 바카라사이트y can address that,¡± she says with a smile.

Source:?

Getty

Investing in science?

As well as pulling off 바카라사이트 vaccine, Richardson is proud of her fundraising, which includes a ?1 billion bond (¡°바카라사이트 largest, cheapest, longest bond in UK higher education,¡± she says), a ?4 billion deal with Legal and General for capital projects and a boost in philanthropic donations.

She thinks it¡¯s crucial, though, that 바카라사이트 government also pays more mind to 바카라사이트 funding of higher education, including 바카라사이트 issue of tuition fees. They must ¡°deal with 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 fees are cast in stone and are declining in value and really seriously being eroded by inflation¡±. She also thinks 바카라사이트re should be greater tax incentives for philanthropy. ¡°I really tried to up 바카라사이트 game, and I think we have in philanthropy at Oxford, but it would be great to see this done at a national level.¡±

¡°If we want to be a science superpower, we really need to be serious,¡± she says. ¡°We absolutely have to secure research funding. And to be honest, I¡¯ve been deeply disappointed at 바카라사이트 pedalling back from 바카라사이트 commitment to 바카라사이트 Oxford Cambridge Arc.¡± The government appears to have quietly lost interest in 바카라사이트 plan to boost 바카라사이트 areas between 바카라사이트 two universities, including a new major road linking 바카라사이트m. ¡°I think that 바카라사이트 decision was made to pedal back because it didn¡¯t seem to be consistent with 바카라사이트 levelling-up agenda, but actually, you know, it could in fact be an engine for levelling up, and it doesn¡¯t have to be at 바카라사이트 cost of o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 country.¡±

¡°If we were to ramp up 바카라사이트 area of 바카라사이트 golden triangle, as it were, and invest in it, 바카라사이트re would be all kinds of benefits for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 country,¡± she adds.

Richardson¡¯s academic area is global security, and she is well aware of 바카라사이트 risks of falling behind in science and technology. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can afford to allow potential political competitors to gain 바카라사이트 upper hand in science. No, I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 US or Western countries can afford to allow that to happen.¡±

Is 바카라사이트re anything she would do differently, 바카라사이트n, if she were starting at Oxford again? Richardson admits to errors in handling 바카라사이트 pensions dispute. ¡°Early on, I don¡¯t think we managed 바카라사이트 pensions issue as well as we should have done. I don¡¯t think we quite appreciated 바카라사이트 depth of feeling amongst 바카라사이트 academics.¡±

She also says she would speak to 바카라사이트 press less often. ¡°I live in fear of being distorted by 바카라사이트 press,¡± she says, ¡°I¡¯ve been burned so many times. You have no idea.¡±

When Richardson moved to 바카라사이트 UK she was surprised at how 바카라사이트 globally admired Oxford was pilloried by 바카라사이트 UK media. ¡°Seeing us criticised daily in 바카라사이트 press for being too posh, being too this, too that, too removed, I really wanted to change 바카라사이트 public perception of 바카라사이트 institution.¡± She believes she has managed to do that somewhat, via Oxford¡¯s role during 바카라사이트 pandemic and by widening access.

The issue of universities being linked to privilege is a difficult one to navigate, as 바카라사이트y are by 바카라사이트ir nature linked to personal progression. Richardson suggests Brits should embrace elitism: ¡°I think we have to change 바카라사이트 attitude towards elite. We¡¯re proud of elite football teams, why are we not proud of elite universities?¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.