HEADLINE NEWS
CHANGE OF
DIRECTOR It was with great regret that the Council of LSE accepted the resignation of Howard Davies as director on 3 March, following international coverage about LSE’s links with Libya.
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n his resignation letter, Howard Davies (pictured) wrote: “I am responsible for the School’s reputation, and that has suffered. I believe that the decisions we have made were reasonable, and can be justified… But however laudable our intentions, in the light of developments in Libya the consequences have been highly unfortunate, and I must take responsibility for that.” Although Howard Davies’s first offer to resign was
under Anthony Giddens’ directorship, she has also been director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and of the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.
rejected by Council, his second was reluctantly accepted. “Howard has been an outstanding director for the past eight years and his achievements here will endure long after the current controversy has died away,” said Peter Sutherland, chairman of the Court of Governors. “We accept his resignation with great regret and reluctance but understand that he has taken an honourable course of action in the best interests of the School.” A tribute to the directorship of Howard Davies by Peter Sutherland is on page 17.
Professor Rees said that it will be an honour to help steer the School at a time when there will be major issues to deal with, including the important work of the independent Woolf inquiry, the changing nature of higher education funding and the appointment process for a new, permanent director.
Council has also commissioned an independent inquiry into the School’s relationship with Libya, which is being conducted by Lord Woolf, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and former chairman of the Council of University College London. Lord Woolf’s report will be made public, in full, when his investigation is complete.
“The core business of LSE is worldclass research and outstanding teaching. I will do everything I can to ensure this very special institution remains in the first rank of the world’s universities. Howard Davies has been an outstanding leader in this and other respects and will be a hard act to follow.”
Professor Judith Rees The School is in safe hands while a new director is sought, with Professor Judith Rees taking up the post from 2 May. Professor Rees CBE, professor of environmental and resources management, was a student at LSE, being awarded both BSc and MPhil before receiving her PhD. A deputy director from 1998 to 2004
Peter Sutherland said: “Judith Rees is an academic with a global reputation who was an enormously effective deputy director. I am sure staff and students will be supportive and show our common resolve to protect and enhance this great institution.” Judith Rees introduces herself to alumni on page 16. ■
The School is in safe hands while a new director is appointed For the biggest stories from around the campus and beyond, see page 30
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Academic esteem for LSE
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