The College 2011
of the flagrant inequalities that exist in the distribution of wealth. Despite appearances, her message was not a pessimistic one but a much needed reminder of the inexorable corrosion of fundamental rights and principles and a call for action before it is too late. I am sure that many of us who listened to her lecture in February thought of her words as nothing short of prophetic when recent news on the phone-hacking scandal broke through. In a world that seems increasingly unstable, her stand against complacency was courageous and truly inspirational. Albertina Albors-Llorens
The Mistress Gives the Tanner Lectures Whilst still Professor of Geography at Durham University, well before taking up her post at Girton, the Mistress had been invited by Clare Hall to give the prestigious Tanner Lectures for 2010. Appointment as a Tanner Lecturer is seen as recognition of uncommon scholarly or professional achievement, combined with outstanding ability. These lectures were established in 1978 by the American scholar, industrialist and philanthropist, Professor Obert Clark Tanner, who wanted them to ‘contribute to the intellectual and moral life of mankind [in a] search for a better understanding of human behaviour and human values’. Tanner lecturers, who have included amongst their number Conor Cruise O’Brien, Umberto Eco, Seamus Heaney and Amartya Sen, are encouraged to focus on the way in which aspects of ethics and moral philosophy apply within their specialist fields. The Mistress’s lectures bore the overall title of ‘Care-full Markets: Miracle or Mirage’ and, most topically, looked at the limitations and potentials of economic markets – notably housing markets – when judged against ethical and moral standards. She also addressed the larger question of whether, and to what extent, these markets are compatible with any ethic of care. Many of us would probably empathise with her view that the phrase ‘safe as houses’, rests nowadays on fragile foundations and that consequently home ‘owners’ feel at the mercy of market forces that they scarcely understand, even when we are not suffering the added pressures of a financial crisis. She sees this as particularly significant when housing is, for most households, their only financial asset – a curious and vulnerable way in which to hold almost one’s entire wealth. Her second lecture ended with what she termed four ‘visions of the future’ – ways in which governments might manage this unstable and potentially dangerous situation – but for a full account of those you will have to refer to the Clare Hall website under Tanner Lectures/Susan J Smith.
Ash Court Competition Last year the Bursar reported that an architectural competition for a new building in Ash Court was already in progress. In the Michaelmas Term entries were received from the five short-listed practices. These were displayed, and comments invited from the Fellowship, prior to two days of interviews with the competing architects. The group conducting the interviews were impressed by all the architectural presentations and the amount of careful thought that had clearly been given to the College’s needs. Two submissions stood out,
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