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King's College London newsletter"
WE LIVE IN CHANGING TIMES An interview with the Principal Designate, Professor John Beynon. Since his appointment as Principal was formally announced, Professor Beynon has paid several visits to King's to talk informally with staff and thereby get to know the College; this is a process he intends to continue - as time permits - over the coming months. Comment recently went to the University of Surrey, where he is Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor, to find out a little more about him.
In such a demanding period for universities why have you chosen to take on such a key role? I believe very much in the value of education and I think universities have a key role to play in the country's educational framework. I happen to have found myself occupying positions of increasing responsibility within educational establishments and I have enjoyed each of them. Having reached the point of being, in effect, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Surrey, the post of Vice-Chancellor at a university or as Principal of a large College was, logically, the obvious next step; but you have to bear in mind that the opportunities for taking that step are really very small and it is therefore not one which follows automatically - far from it. I must say that I am delighted to have been appointed Principal of King's.
changes which have been imposed upon universities - especially in the last eight years - more change has yet to come; if anything, the pace of change is going to accelerate. I don't want to imply that all change is necessarily for the better but it seems to me that we can approach the future in one of two ways. We can do everything possible to maintain our present position and to resist all further change; or we can look to see how some of the changes that are being forced upon us might be used to our advantage -we might even steal a march on the competition!
I think it's human nature to prefer the status quo but when you think about it, academics ought to be in the vanguard of change: we are supposed to be people who are constantly challenging earlier beliefs or understanding in our own disciplines and seeking 'the truth'. The last thing we should do, or persuade our students to do, is to accept what already is as what will be. We are ready to challenge within our own disciplines, but I fear that we don't always adopt the same critical approach to higher education generally - to how and to whom we teach, Continued on page 8
HOUSE OF COMMONS LAUNCH FOR THAMESIDE CAMPUS
Have you identified any particular challenge in front of you? I think the biggest task that I face is to persuade people that we are living in changing times and that, despite the
The pavilion at the House of Commons was the venue for a celebration, hosted by Sir Ilugh Rossi, MP, to officially launch the Thameside campus. See back page report.