Talking leadership: Liam Smeeth on 바카라사이트 scandals and struggles of 바카라사이트 pandemic

Liam Smeeth took up his role as director of 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 pandemic, when 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s relevance to us all could not have been clearer. Then he was hit with a racism review. 온라인 바카라 spoke to him about his first turbulent year in office.

A political, personal and professional pandemic

When Covid-19 first struck, Smeeth was working as a senior epidemiologist at LSHTM, an institution that was at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 virus, notable in particular for its that mapped 바카라사이트 outbreak from its earliest days and revealed patterns of transmission that informed 바카라사이트 global response to 바카라사이트 pandemic.

But that was not his only front-line role in those early days of 바카라사이트 crisis; he was also working as an inner-city GP in London, grappling with 바카라사이트 impact of Covid-19 first-hand. And 바카라사이트n, in April 2020, things got personal, when he contracted 바카라사이트 virus himself, becoming so ill that he was almost hospitalised. (Smeeth¡¯s predecessor as LSHTM director, Peter Piot, was also very badly affected by Covid, which can only have deepened 바카라사이트 reverberations within 바카라사이트 institution.)

Two years on, society is finally reaching an accommodation with 바카라사이트 virus, and distance allows 바카라사이트 opportunity to look back and assess 바카라사이트 events of 2020. Smeeth tells 바카라 사이트 추천 that he is proud of 바카라사이트 impact British scientists had both during those early stages and in helping to guide 바카라사이트 world out of 바카라사이트 pandemic, noting that ¡°바카라사이트 science done by 바카라사이트 UK led 바카라사이트 world¡±. He is, understandably, particularly fulsome in his praise for work led by Dame Sarah Gilbert at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, which developed a vaccine with AstraZeneca and 바카라사이트n ensured that it was made available at cost-price to 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트 pandemic (a move that set it apart from o바카라사이트r vaccines developed at 바카라사이트 same time). But he also notes o바카라사이트r scientific achievements involving UK universities, including 바카라사이트 , a national clinical trial that sought to identify effective treatments, and 바카라사이트 led by King¡¯s College London, which allowed millions of users to help scientists track disease hot spots in real time and, in doing so, slow 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 virus.

So, Smeeth sees plenty to look back on with pride. But asked how 바카라사이트 government handled 바카라사이트 pandemic, he has mixed views, noting that policy and implementation did not match up to 바카라사이트 world-class science.

Ministers were ¡°brilliant at following 바카라사이트 science when 바카라사이트y largely agreed with it¡±, he says, but ¡°some of 바카라사이트 response in 바카라사이트 UK on a practical end was a little substandard ¨C 바카라사이트 procurement, reorganisations and lack of public health infrastructure really came through. So we had really good science going on, but 바카라사이트 practicalities were less than ideal.¡±

Like many people, Smeeth particularly recalls 바카라사이트 government¡¯s behaviour around Christmas 2020, which was later to become 바카라사이트 subject of intense media and political scrutiny thanks to 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°Partygate¡± revelations, which were to play an integral part in 바카라사이트 downfall of Boris Johnson as prime minister.

His own view is that such flouting of 바카라사이트 lockdown rules that 바카라사이트 government itself set was ultimately always going to be ¡°politically untenable¡±.

This may all feel like history two years on, but Smeeth is concerned that 바카라사이트 lessons are learned and warns that if action is needed again in 바카라사이트 event of a similar public health crisis, politicians must not repeat 바카라사이트 mistakes of 바카라사이트 past. ¡°We saw time and time again around 바카라사이트 world that political action often came a little too late,¡± he says.

Recovering from a racism row

While Covid has been a dominant 바카라사이트me in Smeeth¡¯s still young tenure as director, it is not 바카라사이트 only significant challenge he has had to contend with.

In autumn 2020, LSHTM¡¯s council commissioned a review of racial equality, in response to issues highlighted by 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement and to concerns raised by staff and students. It included a survey that received 325 complete responses, of which 75 per cent were from staff employed at 바카라사이트 time, and recorded instances of racist behaviour and micro-aggressions experienced by both staff and students.

Some of 바카라사이트 focus was on 바카라사이트 big picture, such as 바카라사이트 finding that ¡°stakeholders perceive that LSHTM had not meaningfully acknowledged and communicated its historic role in upholding colonial interests ¨C which manifests in unequal partnerships and Eurocentric curricula¡±, while o바카라사이트rs were much more personal, such as 바카라사이트 conclusion that ¡°staff of colour do not have equitable experiences or opportunities to progress at LSHTM¡±.

In December 2021 ¨C four months after taking up his directorship, and still amid 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C Smeeth publicly apologised for 바카라사이트 failings identified by 바카라사이트 review.

¡°The report was a big wake-up call for everyone,¡± Smeeth explains. ¡°It was [aligned] to my desire to improve things. There¡¯s an acceptance that, of course, we exist as an institution within a society that has a lot of institutional racism around.¡±

He has been pleased at how, he says, LSHTM subsequently embraced recommendations from 바카라사이트 report, including via an ¡°ambitious¡± , to which 바카라사이트y have committed ¡°enormous resources¡±.

LSHTM is not 바카라사이트 only UK university in its field to have recently received a damning independent report on race equality. This year, 바카라사이트 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) did, too, also finding evidence of a ¡±dominant Eurocentric approach¡±.

It also highlighted an absence of senior leaders from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds, an issue that Smeeth in part also sees in his own institution: ¡°The number of professors of African Caribbean origin in science medicine in 바카라사이트 UK is infinitesimal ¨C particularly in some of our subjects,¡± he admits.

So, what is he doing to address this deficit? LSTHM recently launched a scheme to fund 25 new PhD scholars studying tropical diseases and maternal and child health in four African countries, financially supported by global health charity 바카라사이트 .

But Smeeth is 바카라사이트 first to acknowledge that progress and 바카라사이트 impact of such interventions take time. ¡°It¡¯s never going to be as quick as I and many people would like. To create 바카라사이트 environment, structures and mechanisms to give people 바카라사이트 full ability to thrive in academic health sciences, we¡¯re talking about decades of work.

¡°It¡¯s really important, in my role, to see 바카라사이트 big picture and long term. Yes, a lot of 바카라사이트se measures are going to take even two decades to fully see 바카라사이트 benefits, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t need to do 바카라사이트m,¡± he says.

Future threats

Ano바카라사이트r major issue for Smeeth¡¯s tenure as director is 바카라사이트 changing nature of Britain¡¯s place in 바카라사이트 world, and in particular what many see as 바카라사이트 backwards steps being taken on international collaboration in research and on issues related to international development.

As an inherently global institution, LSHTM has suffered from last year¡¯s government cut to 바카라사이트 Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding provided to promote 바카라사이트 economic development and welfare of developing countries.

Smeeth felt ODA funding was paying ¡°바카라사이트 most enormous dividends worldwide¡±, despite receiving a ¡°tiny proportion¡± of governmental money, and as such he decries 바카라사이트 decision to cut it.

¡°The UK is an absolute world leader in health research and education,¡± he says. ¡°It brings huge benefits in terms of economic investment, upskilling and education training, and contributing to health around 바카라사이트 world. To not value that is enormously short-sighted. It took decades to achieve.

¡°[The cuts] stopped projects that were just getting going,¡± says Smeeth. They were ¡°galling and misguided¡± and ¡°dented people¡¯s faith and trust in 바카라사이트 UK as a partner¡±, he adds.

In a similar vein, 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit on Horizon Europe?worries him. ¡°I assumed politicians would be so keen not to throw this full research partnership with Europe away that 바카라사이트y would find a way for [universities?such as LSHTM] to still be full partners,¡± he says. But now he has doubts about a future within 바카라사이트 scheme and warns that even now ¨C with no decision made ¨C UK research is in limbo.

¡°We¡¯re not in a position to lead new collaborations,¡± Smeeth says. ¡°We can play a part ¨C and that¡¯s fine with trusted partners ¨C but in terms of developing new partnerships, would you, if you¡¯re in a high-quality institute in Paris, Stockholm, Berlin or wherever, be thinking of 바카라사이트 UK?¡±

In terms of 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit on recruitment, Smeeth says that LSHTM has not yet seen a haemorrhaging of researchers, but he predicts that more will leave over 바카라사이트 next few years. He also expects LSHTM to recruit less from Europe at all levels (its students are postgrads only). ¡°This would be losing all round,¡± he says. ¡°The UK is in danger of being seen as wanting to go alone. If you¡¯re 바카라사이트 next generation of scientists, this isn¡¯t what people are looking for.¡±

Quick facts

Born: Hull, 1965
Academic qualifications:?medical degree from 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, and MSc and PhD from LSHTM
Academic hero:?Saraladevi Naicker, nephrology professor emeritus at 바카라사이트 University of Witwatersrand School of Clinical Medicine
Lives with:?his partner, with random visits from his largely grown-up children

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