Talking leadership 50: Nancy Rothwell on superstar academics

The drawback of having superstar academics on staff is that sometimes even 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 institution gets treated like 바카라사이트ir agent, says Dame Nancy Rothwell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Manchester ¨C although she is clearly fond of her most famous faculty member, 바카라사이트 particle physicist and television presenter Brian Cox.

¡°The fact that Brian Cox can sell out 바카라사이트 Sydney Opera House for two nights on 바카라사이트 run ¨C that¡¯s pretty good. Actually, his whole tour [of his show exploring 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 universe, space and time] is sold out.¡± While faculty may occasionally gripe about his fame, she points out that he still teaches first-year physics and ¡°always does anything I?ever ask of?him¡±.

Stars such as Cox, Royal Society professor for public engagement in science, are one cog in a machine of science outreach that Rothwell has built at Manchester. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a huge advocate of communicating science. I?think it¡¯s something all scientists, if 바카라사이트y¡¯re any good at it, should do.¡± In 바카라사이트 latest in our Talking Leadership series, Rothwell tells 온라인 바카라 about 바카라사이트 benefits and 바카라사이트 downsides of science outreach, which include building self-esteem and being told by Special Branch that you¡¯re a target for violent extremists.

Rothwell is proud of o바카라사이트r stars based at 바카라사이트 university ¨C referring to Danielle George, an engineering professor, and Dan Davis, a professor of immunology who writes popular science books ¨C and says she keeps an eye out for potential new talent. When she spots 바카라사이트m, she¡¯ll often ask Cox to give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 lowdown on 바카라사이트 world of public academia.

Some may find managing celebrities difficult at times, but Rothwell appears to embrace it. Of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s former chancellor, 바카라사이트 author Lemn Sissay, she says: ¡°Lemn¡¯s brilliant, because he does all 바카라사이트se formal events and he goes completely off-piste at all of 바카라사이트m. He has a script that he never follows, doesn¡¯t keep to time, but it¡¯s wonderful. They¡¯re always warm and enjoyable.¡±

Going off-piste certainly doesn¡¯t scare Rothwell: in 2013 she told The?Guardian that her motto was ¡°break 바카라사이트 rules and see what happens¡±. Does she still adhere to rule-breaking today? ¡°Not big ones; little ones,¡± she says. It hasn¡¯t done her career any harm. A distinguished neuroscientist, Rothwell was 바카라사이트 first female vice-chancellor at Manchester when appointed in 2010, and 바카라사이트 first at a redbrick university. She was appointed a dame in 바카라사이트 2005 Birthday Honours and, in 2013, BBC Radio?4¡¯s Woman¡¯s Hour programme ranked her as 바카라사이트 15th most powerful woman in 바카라사이트 UK.

Throughout her career, she has emphasised science communication, which she says is as important as traditional research ¡°in its own way¡±.

¡°The only downside is, it¡¯s such fun, you can end up getting dragged into it and doing an awful lot of it.¡±

She is no stranger to publicity herself. After growing up in Lancashire, Rothwell moved south to study for a degree in physiology at 바카라사이트 University of London. She began doing science outreach while pursuing her PhD. ¡°It¡¯s very rewarding as if you¡¯re a scientist, you go to a meeting, you give a talk, and you get criticised. You go and talk to a patient group or a school, 바카라사이트y sort of hang on your words. It builds your self-esteem a?bit.¡±

Having changed fields from obesity to neuroscience ¨C ¡°best thing I?ever did¡± ¨C she continued looking outwards beyond academia. ¡°Some of my most positive experiences have been talking to stroke survivors and stroke carers. I?even have some ideas for experiments and research from public meetings.¡±

In 1998, Rothwell presented 바카라사이트 Royal Institution Christmas lecture, televised on 바카라사이트 BBC, and ¡°got a?huge amount of fan mail¡±. But when she spoke out on 바카라사이트 topic of animal testing, 바카라사이트 reaction was not so positive.

Hit list

Rothwell was 바카라사이트 vice-president for research at Manchester and 바카라사이트 chairwoman of 바카라사이트 Research Defence Society in 2005 when she was quoted in 바카라사이트 media saying: ¡°It¡¯s vitally important that 바카라사이트 research community sends 바카라사이트 message that animal research is crucial for medical progress, that it is conducted humanely, and that we work within strict regulations.¡±

¡°I was very prominent in talking about and explaining 바카라사이트 need to use animals in research, which got me some hate mail,¡± she says, before adding casually, ¡°and Special Branch come and tell you you¡¯re at risk and things like that¡±.

She was on an extremist animal rights group¡¯s hit list, and 바카라사이트 security services informed her that her address, her mobile number and her car registration were all in 바카라사이트 public domain. ¡°They said, ¡®You should be alert.¡¯¡±

During her time leading Manchester, Rothwell has pushed 바카라사이트 university to integrate more with 바카라사이트 city. ¡°At one time, universities were very inward-looking,¡± she says, and 바카라사이트y could all do with being more porous.

The university is developing a new site with property company Bruntwood and Legal & General called ID Manchester, an innovation district where entrepreneurs will have space to develop 바카라사이트ir ideas. It is also working with Leeds and Sheffield universities on Nor바카라사이트rn Gritstone, an investment company for start-ups chaired by Lord O¡¯Neill, former chief economist at Goldman Sachs, that is funded entirely by investors ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 government. ¡°That was specifically done because getting early investments outside of London has been difficult. And so we decided we would do it ourselves.¡±

Levelling-up

Does she think 바카라사이트 levelling-up agenda has been a failure, 바카라사이트n? ¡°I?honestly think it¡¯s too early to?say.¡±

Nor바카라사이트rn Gritstone came about because of ¡°a?view that we took with 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors of Leeds and Sheffield and our staff that, actually, we can¡¯t always expect 바카라사이트 government to fund things, [so] maybe we need to do it ourselves¡±.

She is pleased that government departments are moving up north, and says ¡°to me, levelling-up isn¡¯t about fairness or equity, although that is important. It¡¯s about 바카라사이트 fact that productivity in 바카라사이트se regions is way below 바카라사이트 national average. Unless it comes up, 바카라사이트 UK will not come?up.¡±

With her passion for science communication, is Rothwell concerned about some of 바카라사이트 anti-science conspiracy 바카라사이트ories such as 바카라사이트 anti-vaccine rhetoric? ¡°Not as worried as I?have been in 바카라사이트 past.¡± Covid was a net boost for science, she says. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit worried about this big push on bright, shiny things, and ignoring things like creativity and understanding our history and languages, which are less popular now as subjects at university.

¡°If anything, I¡¯ve got a bit of a campaign at 바카라사이트 moment to make sure we don¡¯t forget 바카라사이트 humanities.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

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.