WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2020 • SUPPLEMENT (1) TO NO 5282 • VOL 150 Gazette Supplement

Encaenia 2020

Congregation 24 June

the Guardian delicately put it, ‘Plenty of vigorous campaign and donations from 1 Conferment of Honorary Degrees countries with male leaders have also done local people, visitors and friends of the The annual Encaenia celebrations, due well. But few with female leaders have done museum, of an 1810 oil painting by Turner to take place on Wednesday, 24 June, badly.’ which had been there only on loan for were cancelled because of the COVID-19 many years. ‘One of the most beautiful So, while we modestly celebrate, and pandemic. Those who were due to receive streets in Europe’, said the Ashmolean, with ponder, our place in the world and our honorary degrees in 2020 (see Gazette No justifable pride. There were naturally no chequered history, this year saw no 5266, 13 February 2020, p248) will instead buses in this most serene of townscapes, celebratory fanfare by a gifted Oxford be honoured in June 2021. no bars to trafc, for there was no trafc, composer, no display of Oxford’s not even bicycles. But Turner did add, 2 Encaenia distinguished choral achievements in ‘for colour’ we were told, some gowned the musical interludes ut nos delectarent, Encaenia also commemorates the members of the ofset by no Latin eulogies on our guests or proud benefactors of the University through the townspeople and clergy. It was hardly public recognition of our own student Creweian Oration. The text of this year’s imaginable that anything comparable prize-winners, or celebrations of our Oration by the Public Orator, although not would ever be observable these two sporting achievements (instead we praise delivered live in the Sheldonian, is given hundred and more years later, at least the sure-footed and efective strategy of below: during waking daylight hours, but for weeks pitch of a Manchester United striker), no on end we have experienced an unearthly, Harum memoria et recordatio in maximis Encaenia lunch or garden party, and no to most of us unsettling, serenity in that nostris gravissimis curis iucunda sane communal singing of the national anthem same street – hardly a don or clergyman fuit. In this 351st year of the Sheldonian and much-needed reminder of the words or townsperson in sight, and certainly no Theatre, and something like that of the of verse 2. No, experts have told us that gowns. The photographer’s delight, maybe Creweian Oration itself, ceremonies have singing involves breathing in and out, and – camera in hand one morning in April I been mothballed, the orator unable to stand that brings danger. But some hymning of met the then outgoing Senior Proctor, also above those strange fasces in the Proctor’s our friends and benefactors is to be done camera in hand – but in the end surely too Box to pose the risky request: Honoratissime nevertheless, this being a primary purpose much of a good thing, and whatever of Domine Cancellarie, licetne Anglice loqui? of the Creweian, and I promise to ‘do my Cecil Rhodes’s actions and achievements Always a tense moment, this, at which a best’. may be lauded or deplored, we must more conservative Chancellor could one Meanwhile monuments and artefacts keep acknowledge his function in ‘re-enlivening day decide, and require his orator, to infict us in mind of human history. Our museums the High Street’, and his ongoing obligation a long Latin lesson on those assembled, as have kept faith and ‘virtual’ contact with to focus our minds on improving both our was once customary. Hence the precaution us, while inside them civilisations reside knowledge of history and our record of of introductory Latin words borrowed (and in steadfast and exemplary coexistence, equal opportunities for all. That will be a feminised) from Cicero, for we have also subject to occasional new arrivals and legacy ‘more enduring than bronze’, one been deprived of the company of our eight therewith to enhancement of their deeply that ‘will not wholly die’. distinguished honorandae – happily we pluralist communities. This year the plan to welcome them properly in 2021– This must be the moment, then, to thank Sarikhanis, a family we know well and who were to help us celebrate another Mother Nature respectfully for the lives and greatly esteem as patrons of the Ashmolean, Sheldonian anniversary, this hundredth achievements of so many of our friends and have through a signifcant donation made year since women frst collected degrees in colleagues who passed away over the last possible a re-display of the Ancient Near that fne building. twelve months. I call to mind John Gardner, East Art collection. Using a ‘research- Sir Michael Howard, Stephen Cretney and ‘To recall their memory’, says the led approach’ (what else?) the museum Myles Burnyeat, former Fellows of All Souls; transitioned Latin, ‘in the midst of the now plans, in its own words, to make the Wilfred Beckerman, Jasper Grifn and great anxieties of the present has been a collection more accessible and relevant to a Stefano Zachetti of Balliol; Sir Roger Scruton pleasant relief,’ while gender this year is broader audience. of Blackfriars; Peter Sinclair and Sir Fergus noticed in many other arenas, not least Three years ago we welcomed the Millar of Brasenose; Peter Warner of Exeter; the international and epidemiological. As Ashmolean’s acquisition, through a a joint male–female-authored article in 463 464 Gazette • Supplement (1) to No 5282 • 1 July 2020

Sir John Houghton of Jesus; Keble’s former much debate and comment around the remember that in the past the democratic Warden George Richardson and Fellows University; let it stand on record that for a process has been an available, and then Steve Rayner, Jim Grifn and Bryan Magee; brief time we had an embryonic Collegium in by and by a dispensable, path towards Cathy Oakes, Fellow of Kellogg; Margery Ord Via Paradisi. dictatorship and oppression. of Lady Margaret Hall; Linacre’s Rom Harré, Names are often impermanent, but there It was a danger my father, himself a refugee Fellow, and Peter Savill, Emeritus Fellow; are continuities, and life goes on. The from tyranny, wanted me to be particularly Lincoln’s former Rector Sir Eric Anderson baby is Reuben ( ), ‘Behold, a boy’, and aware of during his later days, and my and Fellows Elman Poole, Kenneth Sewards- the is now, consequent upon the earlier days, in England, a country which Shaw, Audrey Tucker and Sir Rex Richards, magnifcent core endowment from the he had seen as a political haven, perhaps sometime our Vice-Chancellor; Sir Jack Reuben Family and Foundation, to be so even a paradise, when he frst came here Baldwin of Magdalen; Peter Dickens of named, no doubt in a happy alliance of in 1935. He was a biophysicist, and he New College; Vernon Butt and John Platt Latin and Hebrew. Artifcial Intelligence, impressed on his students (and his sons) of Pembroke; Brian McGuinness and Machine Learning, Environmental Change the importance of those scientists who Michael Gautrey of The Queen’s College; and Cellular Life will be the benefciaries, applied the most rigorous methods of St Antony’s Fellows Derek Hopwood and not to mention graduate scholars and new mathematics and physics in the felds of Anthony Nicholls; from St Catherine’s colleagues in the college’s fellowship, new biology and medicine. I naturally take great Nelson French, Sir James Gowans and close neighbours – nay, even cohabitant personal interest and pleasure in noting the Michael Shotton; Lesley Forbes of St Cross; partners – to the Radclife Science Library. establishment of a new chair in this subject, Margaret Rayner of St Hilda’s; Donald We needed good news, and here, says the namely the Alexander Mosley Professorship Russell of St John’s; Patrick Fitzgerald and Vice-Chancellor, is a ‘powerful vote of endowed by the Trust of that name, Canon Trevor Williams of Trinity; University confdence in the power of research to solve already a generous friend to the University College’s Brian Loughman and Roy Park; societal problems, and above all, a powerful distinguished by gifts including support of Wadham’s Richard Sharpe; Nick Allen and vote of confdence in the future’. the Physics Clarendon Laboratory and of Philip Lewis of Wolfson; and Norman Stone St Peter’s College and Lady Margaret Hall. of Worcester. The list is distinguished but Lest we be too difdent in registering this sadly long, and yet there will be omissions of vote, we may log in and hear the inaugural One of our honorands, former Secretary of names that have not come to my attention, lecture of our new Alfred Landecker State Madeleine Albright, came to England but I thank our Heads of Houses for their Professor of Values and Public Policy at the with her family in somewhat similar warm commendations of the names I do Blavatnik School of Goverment. And as an conditions, and has written much to warn have. Non omnes morientur. I owe my own overture, listen to the Head of that School us of the kinds of things we heard about special words of afection in remembering remind us of its stated mission. ‘What in that Blavatnik School lecture. We may Donald Russell, one of the world’s leading the school has been built to do’, she says, hope that by the time we receive her in classical scholars, whose kindly humanity ‘is quite simply to improve government, Oxford next June we will have seen more and honest criticism were invaluable to which of course is not simple at all. What clearly that Hell is only one of our possible me and others in our composing of Latin we’re seeking to do is to fnd, to educate, to destinations, at the end of a path not taken. orations. Even in my quite senior years I support a new and better kind of leadership The former senator has shown herself one felt a schoolboy’s pride when he told me in politics around the world… and at the among eloquent recent authorities on he had found no errors – ‘and believe me, I same time to engage people in a world ‘special places’ there, and she will note with was looking for them!’ – and then of course where young and old seem to want to pleasure that we have strengthened our proceeded to make ‘one or two tentative scream at each other more than to sit and interest in women’s studies; through the suggestions…’ listen, and to engage people in actually imagination and generous gifts of friends working with people that they disagree and donors, among whom I must mention We have been to an unusual degree ‘at with, to work on making government work particularly Ms Ann Drake, we are to have an the mercy of the sky’s caprices’, as Camus better and making our society work better, endowed senior post, the Hillary Rodham describes the embattled population of Oran, at what for many people is a pretty difcult Clinton Chair in Women’s History, to secure and fora and fauna have fourished over moment.’ the study of women’s history and encourage this strange period of uneasy calm. Not so more young scholars to pursue in long ago we were able to confer a Master of In the words of Professor Wolf, for whose related subjects. Arts degree on the retiring, but still highly arrival with us we may thank the Alfred active, curator of our parks and gardens. Landecker Foundation and its endowment There are several advantages in switching With his and his successors’ stewardship, of both the chair and an extended from Latin to English. Students of Latin Mother Nature, apparently so uneven in Her programme of research, ‘There never has composition – I know this so well – are dealings with mankind this year, has chosen been a more urgent time to understand the sometimes in difculty when they search to smile on our environment, while we left persecution of minorities and articulate and for a Latin word to translate ‘proud’ that it more alone, as if almost to exclude us from reafrm the values underlying open, liberal, carries no collateral suggestion of arrogance her earthly paradise. democracy.’ That was a memorial day some or vainglory. We have felt perhaps more months ago, 27 January, but the ‘time’ is ever cautious English emotions, but I think some As Orator I was asked a little while ago more with us. The professor drew material justifed pride, this year as Oxford scientists to help name, or at least Latinise, a new from the 1930s to encourage some refection and other experts were heard far and wide baby, that is to say what we thought for a on what we are doing with the 2020s, or in struggling, and gaining some signal time was to be called Parks College. It was rather perhaps what the 2020s are doing success, against formidable foes. Teaching a fne opportunity to signal the way, both to us. At times of uncertainty and anxiety and lecturing was, if I may put it in British alongside and towards, ‘paradise’ (this being it is important to see some of the calls for English, not entirely unsuccessful, and more the beautiful ancient word for a ‘park’) ‘strong leadership’ for what they are, and to efective than many of us had foreseen; but among all the other things that have excited University of Oxford Gazette • Supplement (1) to No 5282 • 1 July 2020 465

much of our ‘lockdown’ was that of long- But we need further precision, and that for instance allowing us to hear more from serving, tireless investigation and industry is what our scientists will always aim for, specialists in science and medicine and less in our studies and laboratories, while many greatly assisted by those who efectively from political editors who lacked relevant of those high achievers somehow also trust their research and are in a position knowledge and critical strategies. The found the time to keep us informed and to support it. We remain wary of claiming lecture is well in tune, I think, with the aims briefed, sometimes even encouraged with international preeminence in any feld, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s latest a little optimism. It is, as always, pleasant even when league tables might lend us of many thoughtful and efective Oxford to remind ourselves and others how many some heartwarming statistics. Looking interventions, namely a large grant to the of our colleagues have been honoured beyond the University, some of this year’s Reuters Institute to explore and promote nationally and internationally; six current statistics have been less heartwarming. But the future of journalism through debate, Oxford academics are among this year’s we have in Oxford a fne cross-disciplinary engagement and research. new Fellows of the Royal Society, seven Centre for Device-Mediated Immuno- A Balliol alumnus, himself a former of the British , and Professor Therapies, bringing together researchers journalist and less of a scientist, is on (now Sir) Peter Donnelly, a former Rhodes in electrical and mechanical engineering, record, as I have previously remarked, for Scholar who has been a pioneer in bringing chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology sometimes favouring the Greek over the statistical methods to genetic science, is and clinical medicine and surgery. We thank Roman side of his educational heritage. He among those recognised in the Queen’s New Mr Donald Porteous for generously helping has, somewhat inauspiciously, invoked the Year and Birthday Honours lists. this important collaborative work in our Greek leader Pericles and that paragon’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering; his Expertise is, it seems, back on the agenda. eloquent leadership in the midst of great donation will be specifcally directed at work I suppose as a University we are entitled anxieties. I wonder if what he had in mind in oncology drug delivery. to say we can never have enough of it. was the funeral oration delivered by the Socrates, if I correctly understand him We move on, in what appears to be a Athenian a little while before the outbreak through his most gifted student, was transition from fossil fuels and perhaps of an epidemic plague (and Pericles’ own suspicious of democracy largely because he outmoded economies. Global problems, decidedly fnal downfall). In the translation felt expertise took second place to mob rule and some global leaders, focus our minds by one of our eminent Wadham-trained which might easily result in those clamours on what is now rather generally called classicists, we read: ‘Let me say that our for dictatorship alluded to above. In our ‘sustainable development’. In Oxford we are system of government does not copy the own republic of letters we should respect to host and support fve more postgraduate institutions of our neighbours. It is more both our tested due process and the use of scholars each year from member countries the case of our being a model to others, than evidence and argument. And where human of the Islamic Development Bank. I of our imitating anyone else.’ A pleasant frailty might let us down we look forward commend for attention two pages on the fantasy, but verging on the hybristic; I to ever more productive collaboration internet – frst, the list (www.isdb.org/isdb- rather think it may be the other way round. between man and machine. What, then, is member-countries) of these 57 countries, Still, there was a time when our leader saw not to be praised in a munifcent donation with helpful further information on the himself more as the Roman Cincinnatus from Amazon Web Services to support state of their populations and economies, redux. We’ll spare a thought for the research projects in the Oxford Robotics and secondly our Development Ofce’s legends of early Rome. Lucius Quinctius Institute, the Cyber Physical Systems Group announcement, with statesmanly Cincinnatus, we remember, was recalled and the Human Centred Computing Group? documentary photograph, of the deal being from obscurity at a moment of crisis to don A particular further benefciary will be signed by the Vice-Chancellor and the once more the senatorial toga and step into the new Lighthouse Doctoral Scholarship President of the IDB. The graduate scholars the breach as dictator. We remember also Programme, which will provide funding to will be studying ‘science, technology and that the same Cincinnatus showed unique 25 students applying for doctoral training innovation’ to the betterment, let us hope, of and fabulous discernment in relinquishing in ‘autonomous intelligent machines both their own countries and ours. power at the right moment. and systems’ and in the human–machine ‘If people struggle to recognise what is true ‘The word politics, sir,’ said Samuel Pickwick collaboration. and what isn’t, the only people to beneft to Count Smorltork, ‘comprises, in itself, Those of us with more literary interests are liars, crooks, and tyrants. If you have a difcult study of no inconsiderable will appreciate the value and quality of no agreed facts to work on, then nothing magnitude.’ We rejoice in the complexity metaphors, and it is comforting to think of in a good society works.’ These salutary of words and their meanings. Some of knocking a virus on the head (whichever words come from the chairman of our my colleagues have recently enriched end of a sphere that may be, but the Reuters Institute steering group. But ‘facts’, the everyday Oxford lexicon with the metaphorist is a clever chap) and coming out for all the brandishing of statistics and formerly underused ‘ventriloquise’. Their of hibernation in July, in keeping with those more or less expert opinions, have been observation was a reproof, but statues capricious British skies. But great crises elusive over these last months. Last week themselves might on some occasions be need expertly guided action. Our leaders the Institute hosted a lecture on public useful speaking authorities. Some years select, and of course follow, scientifc advice, sector broadcasting and trust in dangerous ago a new Fellow of All Souls had, at the Delphic though this may sometimes appear times. I believe an hour can be proftably, anxious moment of his formal admission, when presented to us of the governed if uncomfortably (and therefore all the inadvertently declared that he would obey classes through the words of the governors. more proftably), spent in listening to this the college statues, rather than statutes. The application of ‘world-leading’ measures examination of how far journalism in our A promise is a promise, but my late friend and devices can be called both ‘essential’ countries helped or hindered us through Martin West, true to his problem-solving and ‘icing on the cake’, depending who asks this phase of a crisis. Further than this, here talents, had the idea of ftting the statue with what and when. I grant it is true that icing is was a self-critical confession that journalism a tape recording of the college statutes, and essential to some cakes. could have mobilised itself more efectively, then all would be well. 466 University of Oxford Gazette • Supplement (1) to No 5282 • 1 July 2020

Some have written in praise of forgetting, two fags’ may be studied in a 2012 book other Scout, no matter to what country, class but I prefer to think we start well by by James Currey, but I can recommend a or creed the other may belong.’ I believe the remembering. When ofering the sad but primary source, Othello’s Countrymen (OUP, ‘law’ has since changed to something more (healthily) proud In Memoriam for our 1963), at the end of which Jones concludes inclusive, and I see with interest that some departed colleagues I am normally unable that ‘by the oblique route of a study of veterans have moved in to stand guard by to go through the extraordinary list of our the use made of Africa by Elizabethan their founder’s statue in Poole. ‘Prepared for recently departed Honorary Fellows. It is and Jacobean dramatists, the triumphant what?’ Baden-Powell was once asked. ‘Why, not that I am unaware of their number, or genius of Shakespeare can once more be for any old thing,’ he replied. As has been so of their eminence and their outstanding demonstrated.’ clear this year, we have many friends and contributions to, and outside, our University. supporters, we have fne colleagues, and ‘Be prepared!’ said Peter Piot of the London I have read their obituaries, and have stood we have students of excellent calibre to School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in in awe. This year I call one to mind who died help us face, and engage with, whatever old a 2018 lecture (please listen to it) on the in March at the age of 95, namely Professor thing may come, but let us also learn, pace subject of pandemics. I recognise the idea, Eldred Jones, graduate and Honorary Fellow Pericles, from our neighbours. We know and its expression, as a former boy scout, of Corpus Christi College, later principal who they are. And may all ‘special advisers’ admittedly a rather bolshy one though and pro-vice-chancellor of Fourah Bay know, whether or not they recall their I remember standing to attention and College in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the oldest ancient history, that imperare sibi maximum thinking we meant what we said every university institution in sub-Saharan Africa. imperium est (Seneca: ‘the greatest power of Friday night, in one part of the ‘law’, that a Please read the moving short obituary ruling consists in controlling oneself’). scout ‘is a friend to all, and a brother to every notice on the Corpus website. His ‘life under