bbkThe Birkbeck magazine Issue 21, Spring 2007

FRIENDS LIKE THESE Our lives are more intertwined with the fly than any other creature bbk Issue 21 Contents

TEACHING & RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI NEWS Top in London 1 Future perfect 13 Students rate Birkbeck top Adetoun Baruwa tells how University in London Birkbeck has improved her self-esteem Line of defence 2 Anti-immune system created Changing tone 15 to help aid drug development John McDonnell MP on his challenge for Labour leadership Welcome to issue 21 of BBK. Birkbeck takes centre stage 7 In ‘Changing Tone’, Birkbeck Unique course gives students Help for those who need it most 18 graduate John McDonnell MP a head start in the theatre Student Opportunity Fund talks about why he is standing launched to help talented students for the Labour leadership and MASTER’S REPORT his lasting impressions of Forward thinking 9 FEATURES Birkbeck. We have another Boris has views for Birkbeck 23 political intervention on page 23, COLLEGE NEWS Boris Johnson gives the key from Boris Johnson MP, who Built to last 10 speech at the Foundation dinner gave the speech at Birkbeck’s New facilities herald a better annual Foundation Dinner. Birkbeck Cover story: On the fly 24 Philosopher AC Grayling tells us The interweaving lives of why he co-wrote a play for the Renowned intellect 11 humans and flies Soho Theatre called On Religion, Inaugural Paul Hirst Memorial and about its message that the Lecture Mind the gap 28 basis of belief is misconceived. Do students on gap years abroad Also, in ‘Our doubt is our passion’, Birkbeck, Stratford 11 do more harm than good? former priest and Birkbeck Latest news on Birkbeck, research fellow Mark Vernon Stratford Our doubt is our passion 30 comments on the terrain of the The uncertainties of being human “committed, passionate agnostic”. Obituary 12 In our cover story, ‘On the Fly’, Ronald Tress, former Master LETTERBOX Steve Connor describes the of Birkbeck Your views on BBK20 32 interweaving lives of flies and humans and what this tells us about ourselves; while in ‘Mind the Gap’, Andrew Jones explores whether gap-year volunteering perpetuates neo-imperialist stereotypes about ‘poor’ Africans. Cover photograph: Finally, congratulations to Image courtesy of Brian Valentine (www.flickr.com/photos/lordv) BBK editor Catherine Stevens on the birth of her daughter Scarlett Ella on 27 December last year. I’m taking the reins while Birkbeck is a world-class research and teaching institution, a vibrant centre Catherine’s on maternity leave of academic excellence and London’s only specialist provider of part-time, and can be contacted at: evening higher education. Its academic reputation also attracts many [email protected] traditional, full-time postgraduate and research degree students. Top in London Students rate Birkbeck top in London and third nationally

Birkbeck is the top university in “Studying part-time at Birkbeck is London, with the third highest affordable and you are not stuck score nationally, for overall with a large student loan, even satisfaction in the second annual before your first job. I have a good National Student Survey of final- University of London degree which year undergraduate students. will give me the means to progress. The Master of Birkbeck, Professor My employers have recognised my David Latchman, says: “Birkbeck enhanced market value and have staff work exceptionally hard to rewarded me accordingly.” support our students, who are Similarly, Paul Clements (48), a juggling busy lives with their part- Detective Sergeant in the police time, evening study. For two years force, says studying law at Birkbeck now we have been at the top of this meant he could “comfortably survey so we know for sure that continue with work during the day our students value what we do for and study in the evenings. Plus, them. We have recently launched Birkbeck has an excellent our best ever financial support reputation. It’s been some time packages. This will allow even since I studied, but the tutors gave more students than ever to access me all the support I needed. I’m the quality of education that our very proud – completing the LLB current students so clearly enjoy.” was an enormous achievement.” The survey of 157,000 Like Paul, Eugene Okonkwo (40) respondents from 129 institutions feels a huge sense of makes student views about higher accomplishment on graduating education available to the public, with a BSc Information Systems assisting prospective students to and Management. “Birkbeck was make informed decisions about intellectually demanding, but the what and where to study. It is run feeling of succeeding makes it for a medical degree.” by the Higher Education Funding worth it. I could combine a full-time Joanna Selcott (52) also aims to Council for England and endorsed job in the civil service and part-time use Birkbeck as a springboard to by the National Union of Students. study. Birkbeck has transformed my further study. She worked in the Bill Rammell MP, the Minister for analytical skills and increased my City before leaving employment to Further and Higher Education and confidence.” raise a family. Lifelong Learning, says: “I welcome Building confidence was also Now with a first-class BA another set of strong results from a key factor in the success of History of Art, she says: the National Student Survey. Ekaterina Shakour, from Russia. She “The quality of teaching was Choosing a higher education says: “I was worried that I wouldn’t exceptional and the skills I institution can be a daunting task, be able to cope as my English learned gave me the confidence to and it is vital that students can wasn't very good at that time. When apply for work.” Joanna is now an access the best possible information I applied for the BSc Molecular information assistant at Tate to inform their choices.” Biology I discussed this with the Modern, and is surrounded by Birkbeck’s bachelor degree staff, who were so supportive.” some of her favourite artists. “I graduates commonly cite flexibility Ekaterina has a young daughter do miss studying,” she says. “I’m and expertise in teaching as the and found that studying at already downloading the Birkbeck aspects of life they were most Birkbeck was the best way to postgraduate prospectus.” Above: Birkbeck pleased with at the College. juggle work, her family and her students voted the Susan Haslam (26), a lettings degree. “We did lots of work in the College first in For more information about studying London for student agency administrator who gained laboratory and I gained the at Birkbeck, visit satisfaction www.birkbeckmatters.com a BA Humanities in 2005, says: knowledge I needed to apply (JD Moore)

Teaching & research 1 STRANGER THAN FICTION What stories do we tell ourselves about science? How do these fictions affect the use and position of science today? These questions and more were posed at the second free Birkbeck Lunchtime Lecture Series, ‘Science and its Fictions’, last autumn, featuring biophysics expert Julia Goodfellow, feminist theorist Rosi Braidotti, literary critic Roger Luckhurst and cultural historian Steve Connor. Look out for more free lectures at Birkbeck by visiting www.bbk.ac.uk/about/news

Left: Artwork of the face of an extraterrestrial being (Science Photo Library)

Line of defence Birkbeck researchers create virtual immune system to help aid drug development for cancer and HIV

A virtual immune system called Our immune system is composed their own unique way of the ImmunoGrid is being created of a complex system of specialised overcoming our defences, mean by Birkbeck researchers and cells and organs (such as lymph that we cannot develop a single European partners to model the nodes, spleen, tonsils) which work simulator for the whole immune human immune system. The together to find and kill invaders. system. Instead we are developing computer simulation will help It is responsible for distinguishing separate simulators for different understand the host immune foreign proteins of invading pathological conditions. Currently, response to attacks by pathogenic pathogens from our own, and for the simulator works mainly at the bacteria and viruses. It will also protecting against alien substances cellular level but we are enable researchers to assist the and infections. It can reject developing it to simulate whole treatment of cancers of the transplanted organs but it is also organs,” says Professor Moss. immune system such as susceptible to attack itself, from “The ImmunoGrid will help us leukaemias and lymphomas. HIV in particular. understand the immune response Currently the simulator is being Professor David Moss, Senior to pathogenic viruses and used to test different regimes for Research Fellow at Birkbeck’s bacteria, and also how the vaccine administration in the School of Crystallography, and Dr immune system attacks our own treatment of mammary tumours in Adrian Shepherd, Lecturer in cells in autoimmune diseases, mice, and colleagues in Bologna Bioinformatics, lead Birkbeck’s such as rheumatoid arthritis and are testing these predictions on efforts in the ImmunoGrid celiac disease. It will also help us laboratory animals. It is also collaboration, which involves study leukaemia relapse.” being used to plot the seven other laboratories in France, For information about studying at concentrations of viral proteins Italy, Denmark and Australia. the School of Crystallography at and populations of white blood “The complexity of the immune undergraduate or postgraduate level, cells during the course of system, and the fact that the most email [email protected] or visit www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk HIV infection. successful pathogens each have

2 Teaching & research The café as an urban space Birkbeck joins the Royal College of Art for a fresh look at the history of café culture

Café culture is very much part of contemporary urban living and an understanding of its special place as a cultural nexus in Vienna will add much to our understanding, not only of history, but also of ourselves. A new three-year research project run by Birkbeck and the Royal College of Art (RCA) will examine the cultural and artistic complexity of the café as an urban space, both in terms of turn-of-the-century Vienna and in the fabric of 21st century cities. “For those of the current generation who thought the coffee house started life with Starbucks, this will come as quite an eye- opener,” says Professor Christopher Frayling, Rector, RCA. The Viennese Café and fin-de- siècle culture project commenced to those offered by the dominant century modernism and will in October 2006 and is funded by a discourses of art history, which undoubtedly enhance Birkbeck’s £30,000 grant from the Arts and have tended to focus on Paris. distinctive profile for Humanities Research Council. This Since poet and critic Charles interdisciplinary research.” multi-disciplinary study will Baudelaire, the figure that has The project will result in an investigate the social and artistic come to stand as modernity exhibition and international interactions that took place in and personified is the flâneur (man of conference in 2009, a major around the fin-de-siècle Viennese the crowd) who strolls around the publication and a series of literary café, a key site of turn-of 20th city ‘botanising on the asphalt’ and musical performances. It will century modernity. It functioned as (Walter Benjamin). The researchers benefit from close connections with both home and workplace, propose an alternative idea, that of the Royal Academy of Music and the affording opportunities not only the coffee house habitué who sits Austrian Cultural Forum, London. for leisure but also intellectual and awaits the arrival of the world Johannes Wimmer, Director of exchange. The researchers will at his table. the Austrian Cultural Forum, explore the Viennese café as a “We have been working, London, adds, “We are delighted threshold of space between public independently, in the field of to be associated with this work, and private urban life, not only the Viennese visual and cultural which will not only highlight an architectural interior but also the studies for many years,” say Dr Tag intense and hugely creative period boundaries between late 19th and Gronberg and Dr Simon Shaw- in Vienna’s cultural history, but early 20th century ‘high’ and ‘low’ Miller (Birkbeck’s School of History will also aim at taking a fresh culture. of Art, Film and Visual Media), look at urban modernity and The work focuses on Adolf Loos’s who lead the study with Professor its metaphors.” redesign of the Café Museum Jeremy Aynsley (RCA). “ This project

(1899), long interpreted as an icon brings the opportunity to develop Above: Coffeehouse For more information about research of Viennese turn-of-the-century our work with other institutions. Heinrichhof, in Vienna. at the School of History of Art, Film Colour lithography by modernism, in order to formulate The work aims to challenge and Visual Media, visit Jung Moriz, around www.bbk.ac.uk/hafvm/research alternative metaphors of modernity assumptions about turn-of-the- 1911 (Getty Images)

Teaching & research 3 Screening London The London Screen Study Collection at Birkbeck’s new Centre for Film and Visual Media Research explores the capital’s extraordinary moving image heritage, writes Professor Ian Christie

since London often suffers from the ambiguity of being both the national capital and a region. In addition to two of the world’s great archives, the National Film and Television Archive (recently rebranded BFI National Archive) and the Imperial War Museum’s film department, London has many film collections that include ‘local’ material. But there is no equivalent to the Paris Forum des Images, formerly known as the Videothéquè de Paris, where you can actually see material made in or about the city with a minimum of pre-planning. This is the plan for Birkbeck’s London Screen Study Collection, which has been supported by The London Screen Study hosted by Birkbeck at grants from Film London (£10,000) Collection provides a good example http://londonfilm.bbk.ac.uk, and and the MLA London (£5,000) and of how academic research can has been attracting a steady stream will be housed in the exciting new reach a wider audience – through, of enquiries and contributions. Centre for Film and Visual Media in the fashionable jargon, Contribution is in fact the key to Research designed by award- ‘knowledge exchange’. It hopes to early cinema research, since this winning architectural practice make available a wide range of is a field where amateurs were Surface. Drawing on material material for viewing early this active long before film academics from existing archives, held in year, as part of Birkbeck’s new realised the importance of seeing duplicate copies, as well as the Centre for Film and Visual Media cinema ‘bottom up’ in all its local wide range of London film and Research in Gordon Square. variety. Local historians, and even video that is already published The Collection emerged from people with long memories and commercially, the Collection will Birkbeck’s London Project study of well-stocked attics, can make a allow both Londoners and visitors early cinema in the city (BBK17), contribution to filling in the many to explore London’s extraordinary and this research is already gaps in our knowledge of how moving image heritage. Courses reaching Londoners through a film-going spread so rapidly in on London screen history are also touring exhibition, Moving Pictures the early 20th century. But while planned, together with screenings Come to London: The First Decades, the social history of cinema is at in the Centre’s state-of-the art 1894–1914, which opened at last on the agenda, what about cinema. Watch – or better still, Camden Local Studies and Archives actually seeing rare films? visit – this space. Centre last April, before travelling Here the London Screen Study to the Hampstead Museum, where Collection aims to plug a it stays until 28 January 2007. It surprising gap. The UK can now Ian Christie is Professor of Film and will then move to Barking and boast a network of regional screen Media History at Birkbeck and was Dagenham, Lambeth and the City of archives that have grown up over Slade Professor of Fine Art at Cambridge University 2005–06. Westminster (venues to be the last decade and cover most of For details about courses and research confirmed). Its documentation of the country – except London. Above: An early at the School of History of Art, moving image from the Film and Visual Media, visit the early film business is also anomaly will not surprise anyone 1906 oddly named film, www.bbk.ac.uk/hafvm available as a searchable database, working in arts administration, ‘The ? Motorist’

4 Teaching & research BECOMING A POLITICAL ANIMAL A new Certificate and Diploma in Politics will help students have a greater understanding of how decisions are arrived at. Christoph Meyer, the course director said, “recognising how politics works is the first step towards being able to influence it. This is particularly relevant to Londoners, even more so after the Tube and bus bombings in 2005.”

For details call 020 7631 6626/6618 or visit www.bbk.ac.uk/ce/politics

Left: Police dogs at Piccadilly Circus, as the station reopens following the bombings on July 7 2005 (Getty Images)

United we stand New research centre wins £3.7 million to support international development goals

A new research centre aimed at and Royal Veterinary College. Sir Andrew Haines, Director of tackling the complex problems of Initially, the researchers will the London School of Hygiene international development has undertake work to support the and Tropical Medicine, says: won £3.7 million start-up funding attainment of the UN's Millennium “Substantial challenges remain from the government to develop Development Goals, agreed by to achieve the UN’s Millennium partnerships with researchers, nearly 190 countries at the United Development Goals and address policymakers and practitioners in Nations Millennium Summit in longer-term development issues. Africa, Asia, and other low and 2000. Extreme poverty and disease, Action by governments and middle-income regions. infant mortality, universal primary international agencies will only The Bloomsbury International education, sustainability and succeed if policies are Development Centre, to be launched empowerment are some of the underpinned by a robust research this year, will form the nucleus of headline goals that will be the base, and by developing strong the largest academic grouping on focus of the Centre's work. links with our partners in low- international development in the The Centre will also look beyond income countries. The range of UK, with a unique range and depth these goals to longer-term expertise housed within this new of expertise. development issues and capacity Bloomsbury International The Centre is a research building to address the needs of Development Centre will be collaboration of the Bloomsbury partner higher education and unmatched by any single UK Colleges group, which consists of research institutions, Non- institution and will constitute an six institutions of the University Governmental Organisations (NGOs) invaluable source of independent of London: Birkbeck, the Institute and government departments. In expert advice.” of Education, the London School addition, it will develop new of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, teaching programmes, particularly For information about research and the School of Oriental and African focusing on postgraduate and teaching at Birkbeck’s School of Geography, visit www.bbk.ac.uk/geog Studies, The School of Pharmacy, continuing education.

Teaching & research 5 Concentration Camps (15 February). Professor Todorov is author of Facing the Extreme: Moral Life in the Concentration Camps and Hope and Memory: Reflections on the 20th Century, among many other works. His lecture is followed by Professor Ulrich Herbert (Freiburg University), an expert on the history of the Third Reich, who will speak about the formation, development and conceptualisation of the Nazi concentration camps (13 March); Birkbeck’s Professor Orlando Figes will discuss the camps in the Soviet Union, in his lecture on The Gulag in Memory (25 April); and Volkhard Knigge will speak about history and memory in the Buchenwald memorial (12 June). Last autumn’s theme was War Crimes and Trials, with Dr Donald Bloxham, Reader in History at Edinburgh University and former Research Director of the Holocaust Education Trust on Nuremberg and After. Also speaking was Linda Melvern – a leading journalist and Honorary Professor in the Department of International Politics at the University of Wales – on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. Memory and the camps Birkbeck’s Dr Nikolaus Major lecture series explores key themes Wachsmann, the co-convenor of of contemporary history the lecture series, said: “We are delighted to work with the Wiener Library on this lecture series, The world’s oldest Holocaust of German Citizens of Jewish which is part of a growing memorial institution, the Wiener Faith, fled Germany, and started co-operation between our Library, has teamed up with to collect and disseminate institutions, with further links Birkbeck to launch the Birkbeck- information about events in Nazi and joint research projects on Wiener Library public lecture Germany. Today, the Library is a the horizon.” series, featuring leading scholars major research institution, The lectures are organised by and public figures on key themes acquiring documentary Birkbeck’s School of History, of contemporary history, such as collections, holding regular events Classics and Archaeology and the migration, refugees, genocide and providing a focal point for Wiener Library and are supported and war. researchers and students. by the Birkbeck Development Fund. The Wiener Library is the The theme of the spring-term The spring-term Birkbeck-Wiener leading archive for the study of Birkbeck-Wiener Library lectures Library lectures take place at Birkbeck, the Nazi era and of religious and is Memory and the Camps, with venue and times to be announced. Admission is free but registration is racial hatred. It can trace its world-renowned philosopher and required, by calling 0207 636 7247 or history back to 1933, when Alfred cultural theorist, Professor Above: French emailing [email protected]. For refugees escaping the details, visit www.bbk.ac.uk/hca/news/ Wiener, a German Jew who Tzvetan Todorov commencing Nazi onslaught in 1941 wienerlecture worked in the Central Association proceedings on The Memory of (Getty Images)

6 Teaching & research Birkbeck takes centre stage Unique MFA Theatre Directing gives students a head start in a cut-throat business, writes Eulina Clairmont

After successfully completing its designers: for example, pioneering three-year pilot, Birkbeck’s highly film-maker, Mike Leigh and stage praised Master of Fine Arts in and screen star, Juliet Stevenson, Theatre Directing is set to recently led talks and practical continue after endorsements from sessions. the theatre industry's leading “The MFA Theatre Directing is bodies: the Arts Council England, the only course of its kind in this the Theatre Managers’ Association country,” Rob continues. “No other and Equity. combines postgraduate level study Prompted by the theatre with extended secondments, and industry, the MFA Theatre we attract contributors who are Directing responds to a gap in on the cutting edge of theatre.” training. In 1989, the Gulbenkian He adds: “As well as good foundation recommended relationships with the leading improvements to directors’ drama schools, we have regular training in their report A Better workshops at the National Theatre Direction. The report highlighted Studio and visits from members of the crucial need for an integrated the Royal Shakespeare Company's programme of theoretical study voice department. Currently we and professional practice. have directors on placement at The course has been developed nine theatres including the Royal through close co-operation Court, the Gate at Notting Hill and between Birkbeck and the the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.” National Council for Drama Every student is assessed on Training, which is the body his/her own production and over charged by the theatre industry three years Birkbeck has, in with overseeing and safeguarding essence, co-produced 26 plays. Uncle Vanya. I also assisted training provision and standards There have been several reviews in director, Lucy Pitman-Wallace, for theatre professionals. the national press and many in The on the revival of The Burial at Programme Director and theatre Stage newspaper. One of the plays, Thebes. I've just received the John director Rob Swain, commends The Ash Boy, has been published by Fernald Award to assist Lucy Birkbeck for having the vision and Methuen. again on tour in the UK, China enthusiasm to take on this “The MFA provides students and America in 2007–2008, and unpredictable venture into the with a range of highly developed she has asked me to work with her world of theatre. “The innovative professional skills and the ability on a production of A Midsummer approach to the assessment of an to work as autonomous, self- Night’s Dream.” artist's work and Birkbeck’s aware artists,” says Rob. “It is Rob concludes: “The MFA has willingness to collaborate with also about who knows who, and begun to find its place in the the theatre industry provided the all the directors leave with fat theatre industry. The term right mix of attitude and expertise address books.” ‘Birkbeck director’ already has a to develop this unique training,” “The secondments can lead to currency, and as more directors he says. great things and studying at graduate and take up leading In the first term, students enjoy Birkbeck has been a really positive positions in the theatre, the more a three-month secondment to a experience,” says Zoe Waterman, significant its impact will become.” leading drama school such as the who graduates this year. “I was at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art or the Arts Education School where I For details about the MFA Theatre Guildhall. Throughout the first learnt about actors’ training. They Above: After Miss Directing, contact the School of Julie, directed by year, students work with leading asked me to come back to direct English and Humanities on 020 7079 MFA Theatre Directing 0689 or visit www.bbk.ac.uk/eh directors, actors, writers and first-year students in Chekhov's student Zoe Waterman

Teaching & research 7 Kicking off a sporting era The Birkbeck Sport Business Centre addresses a growing number of challenges, writes Simon Chadwick

The write stuff

As the moon rose over Malet Street, London’s literati gathered on 28 September to celebrate the launch of The Mechanics’ Institute Review, Issue 3, writes Amy Popovich. This literary journal is produced by students, like myself, on the Publishing module of Birkbeck’s MA Creative Writing programme. The launch had a very successful turn out, attended by graduating and incoming students, as well as agents and members of the publishing world, and at least two students from my course have gleaned interest from The next decade promises to be an to provide high-quality services to Above: An artist’s agents AP Watt. impression of the new unprecedented one for sport in sport businesses to help them Wembley Stadium, In addition to all the hands-on London. This year, the new effectively, innovatively and which will host the experience gained from producing a Olympic football Wembley Stadium is set to open profitably manage their activities.” finals in 2012 book, from concept through to and the city hosts the first stage Sean Hamil, another co-director, (Courtesy London 2012) concrete reading material, one of of the Tour de France. The 2012 believes the Centre is well the most important things I’ve Olympic Games will take place in equipped to do this: “We can taken away from the course is a the capital and the government is undertake practical, applied and heightened optimism toward encouraging the English Football academic research in commercial succeeding in the publishing world. Association to bid to stage the sport and produce reports that Led by creative writing tutor 2018 football World Cup. help businesses develop a detailed Julia Bell, MIR has quickly become Yet sport is not just important understanding of the marketplace.” a respected source of good for the capital. It is performing an The Centre has already worked writing. Julia says: “My ambition increasingly significant role in the with FC Barcelona, the German for MIR is that it becomes a fixed UK economy. Estimates indicate Bundesliga, UEFA, the New point on the literary calendar that sport and its related activity Zealand Rugby Union, the four where readers who are interested account for almost 3% of gross Grand Slam tennis tournaments in new voices and emerging talent domestic product. The Premier and Sport England. will find plenty to stimulate them. League alone generates around These are clearly challenging, yet Each year the bar gets raised a £2 billion of business each year. exciting, times for sport, and the little higher in terms of quality Managing sport professionally BSBC is ideally placed to shape the and professionalism. This year’s has never been more important. future and take advantage of the issue has really set a high With this in mind, the Birkbeck opportunities that sport presents. benchmark for MIR4.” Sport Business Centre (BSBC) in Simon Chadwick is a co-director Visit www.bbk.ac.uk/mir for more details the School of Management and of the Birkbeck Sport Business Organizational Psychology Centre. For futher details, visit PRIZE DRAW: BBK has 10 copies of www.sportbusinesscentre.com. He is addresses the growing number of MIR3 to give away. also Programme Director of the MSc To enter, send a postcard to BBK21 challenges that sport managers Sport Management and the Business prize draw, Birkbeck, External Relations, face. Dr Linda Trenberth, one of of Football. For more information, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX. visit www.bbk.ac.uk/manop Closing date: 1 March 2007 three co-directors, states: “We want

8 Teaching & research Master’s report: Forward thinking A new research centre, success in surveys and expansion projects continue to drive Birkbeck forward, writes Professor David Latchman

It is very gratifying when Birkbeck achieves success in audits and opinion surveys. It is particularly satisfying however, when the plaudits are received from our own students. I was therefore delighted that, as described on page one, Birkbeck was once again highly acclaimed by its students in the second National Student Survey of student opinion in all universities. This year saw the completion of the Torrington Square landscaping project to provide a most attractive open space in which students and staff can relax, but also keep in contact via wireless access. The space beautifully complements the modern development of our main building, which was completed a couple of years ago. I was recently asked why, when we had only just opened the gardens, we had already begun to each institution, it was clear The others involve our leadership tear away at the side of the main that all members were active in of the Linking London: Lifelong building. In fact, this represents International Development, (in Learning Network, and our bid for the essential final phase of the Birkbeck’s case, in the School of Birkbeck, Stratford (Page 11). project to develop a learning Geography and the Faculty of Together, these three bids have support centre in the new Continuing Education). A bid was yielded over £12 million in support, reception area. This work, which is therefore submitted to HEFCE for which must be unprecedented for supported by Birkbeck Fellow Mrs a joint Bloomsbury International an institution of our size. Phyllis Somers and the Higher Development Centre and this has We are involved in discussions Education Funding Council for recently been awarded a grant of with Newham Council about England (HEFCE), will provide a £3.7 million (page five). The constructing a building in resource centre where prospective researchers will undertake work Stratford. Many of the proposed students can obtain information to support the UN’s Millennium features will mirror those of the about Birkbeck courses, financial Development Goals to tackle modern part of our main building, and other support, as well as a extreme poverty, disease and infant including the proposal to place a quick-stop coffee bar. mortality, as well as the attainment learning support centre and coffee Meanwhile, our association with of universal primary education. It bar at the front. our partners in the Bloomsbury is likely that the Centre will shortly I look forward to updating you Colleges group (formerly known as have office space in property further on this important the Bloomsbury Consortium) has purchased from the University of development in future issues. recently moved onto a new level. As London, close to our campus. I also invite you to visit our well as promoting administrative Regular readers of BBK will know Above: Sudanese Bloomsbury campus to see for refugees queue for collaboration among the partnering that this is the third successful their daily ration of yourself how Birkbeck is changing. six colleges, we also wish to bid to the HEFCE Strategic onions, beans, flour and oil in the Farshana develop joint research activity. Development Fund we have been refugee camp Professor David Latchman, Having surveyed the activity in involved in during the last year. (Getty Images) Master of Birkbeck

Master’s report 9 Built to last New facilities herald a better Birkbeck

Staff and students continue to offices at 32 Torrington Square Below: The Wolfson entertainment evenings. Institute for Brain benefit from Birkbeck’s and the Senate House north block Function and The Director of Estates and comprehensive building and will be occupied by new staff Development in the Facilities, Philip Cowling, says: refurbishment projects. within the expanding School Henry Wellcome “These exciting projects at Building (Birkbeck The major building work that of Psychology. Photo Unit) Birkbeck, the improved learning took place on the ground floor In the main building, the old and recreational facilities, signal area facing Torrington Square, Senior Common Room has to the Bloomsbury and wider consisting of a new foyer and become The Fifth Floor Eatery, educational communities the library entrance, was the final with new contemporary furniture College’s commitment to its part of the redevelopment design and lighting, and separate students and staff.” undertaken by Nick Evans informal seating areas. Torrington Square, the space Architects. The earlier part of the Also, a partnership between flanked by Birkbeck, SOAS and work to develop integrated library Birkbeck, its Students’ Union Senate House, was redesigned by facilities, new lecture theatres, and the University of London architects, Robert Myers teaching rooms and offices was Students’ Union has resulted in Associates and officially opened completed in 2005. the refurbishment of the Birkbeck by the Vice-Chancellor of the The new foyer, which houses the bar on the fourth floor, now University of London, Sir Graeme library front desk, a one-stop- called the George Birkbeck Bar, Davies, in May last year. It has shop information centre for course with a new bar and seating areas, since been ‘highly commended’ in enquiries, the new coffee shop, a pool table and large-screen the design category of the The Café on the Square are due to television, plus equipment for Landscape Institute awards. be completed this term. Across Torrington Square on the eastside facing the School of Oriental and African Studies, Birkbeck continues to extend its estate in Bloomsbury. Next to its Clore Management Centre (which houses the School of Management and Organizational Psychology), Birkbeck officially opens its new Wolfson Institute for Brain Function and Development and the Henry Wellcome Building on 31 January. This is the first new building constructed for Birkbeck since 1997, when the Clore was opened. The planning officers at Camden were keen that the design of the Henry Wellcome Building replicate many of the features of the Clore, which it abuts, and also that the large plane tree in the rear courtyard be protected. Staff from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development (aka the Babylab) at the School of Psychology moved into the new building at the start of this academic year. Their former

10 College news Renowned intellect remembered Inaugural Paul Hirst Memorial Lecture sees presentation of prizes to deserving students Birkbeck, Stratford update

The new Birkbeck/University of East London Partnership at Stratford was launched on 21 November 2006 when a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions was signed by the Vice-Chancellor of UEL, Professor Mike Thorne, and the Master of Birkbeck, Professor David Latchman. The partnership aims to improve participation in higher education in east London by attracting new students who would not otherwise The inaugural Paul Hirst and strong representative participate through the provision Memorial Lecture was given by institutions, China’s future is more of new opportunities and Will Hutton, Chief Executive of the uncertain than the champions of progression pathways. The signing Work Foundation and Observer free-market economics would have took place at a lunch hosted by columnist, on 6 November, writes us believe. UEL where senior management Jason Edwards, School of Politics As Will remarked, this argument and academics from Birkbeck and and Sociology. was developed by Hirst himself in UEL got to know their The talk, based on Will’s the 1980s and 1990s. Will’s lecture counterparts. UEL Vice-Chancellor forthcoming book, The Writing on was thus a fitting tribute to Paul’s Professor Mike Thorne said “We the Wall: China and the West in work, and provided a memorable recognise Birkbeck’s history and the 21st Century, was attended by start to what will hopefully reputation and we believe we can 200 guests, many of whom were become an annual fixture. bring our youthful energy and former students of Professor Paul Hirst was Professor of Social enthusiasm to this project.” Hirst. It provided a provocative Theory at Birkbeck for over 30 The Master of Birkbeck, challenge to the view that China’s years before his death in 2003. The Professor David Latchman, status as a future economic and Paul Hirst Memorial Lecture will replied: “To continue our widening political superpower will be serve both to honour his memory participation agenda we must secured solely through its embrace and support publicly relevant come to where students need our of free-market capitalism. China’s social and political analysis. services most and UEL is the recent economic growth has been The lecture also served as perfect partner for this initiative.” overseen by the Communist Party an appropriate forum for the Birkbeck was awarded nearly £5m and founded largely on cheap presentation of the first Paul Hirst in April 2006 by the Higher labour and the mass production of Memorial Prizes for outstanding Education Funding Council for derivative consumer goods. This students from the School of England (HEFCE) to take its model of capitalism has not served Politics and Sociology. The first Above: The Master, flexible, evening teaching to foster the kind of stable winners were Rebecca Atkinson Professor David provision to east London. Birkbeck Latchman and the companies and social institutions and Gareth Harris. winners of the Paul courses will be offered at the UEL necessary to support sustained If you would like to contribute Hirst Memorial Prizes, Stratford campus from September Rebecca Atkinson and economic growth. Without the to the Paul Hirst Memorial Fund, Gareth Harris 2007 as part of the Birkbeck establishment of social pluralism email: [email protected] (Jason Edwards) strand of this new partnership.

College news 11 An equal partnership Educate, inform, challenge and entertain was the aim of Disability Equality Week

Leading celebrities in the disability broaden knowledge and Below: Learning to sign during a Obituary field joined the campaign to understanding of disability issues Disability Equality support Disability Equality Week, among staff and students. Week workshop Ronald Tress organised in early October last Birkbeck’s Disability Officer, (Birkbeck Photo Unit) year, with workshops, films, a Mark Pimm, recognises that Birkbeck was saddened to hear of careers open house, tours and live Birkbeck has done a lot to serve the death on 28 September 2006 of entertainment designed to promote its disabled students, but says it political economist Ronald Tress, equality for disabled people and must continue to work hard to a former Master of the College. the introduction of the Disability comply with the new Act. After graduating from University Discrimination Act (DDA). “Last year we had 600 disabled College at Southampton and The event was launched by Radio students and actively worked with Hawarden, he took a teaching 4’s In Touch presenter, Peter White, 400. We have a disability contact appointment at the University and included a performance by person in every school and College of the South-West in Exeter. Lawrence Clark, one of the department and an active student In 1941, he became an economic country’s very few physically disability committee.” adviser to the British War Cabinet disabled comedians. “Birkbeck's disability equality and was the first to perform the The DDA states that from scheme and its action plan, a vital work of bringing together the 1 September 2005, all public bodies further requirement of the DDA, comparative data of the war will have a duty to promote equal was published in December. The economy potential of Germany and opportunities for disabled people. Disability Equality Week was just Britain. In 1947 he left the civil Birkbeck, in conjunction with the one of a range of activities that service to return to academic life. School of Oriental and African will work towards eliminating Following stints at the London Studies and the Institute discrimination.” School of Economics and the of Education, under the auspices University of Bristol, he became of the Bloomsbury Colleges group, To find out more about the work Master of Birkbeck in 1968. During organised its contribution to Birkbeck is doing in this area visit: this time, Birkbeck obtained www.bbk.ac.uk/disability Disability Equality Week to buildings on Gresse Street in 1971 to accommodate Geography, Geology and the new Social Sciences departments, and three new departments were established: Economics, Applied Linguistics, and Politics and Sociology. He stepped down in 1977, becoming a Birkbeck Fellow, and took on the Directorship of the Leverhulme Trust, a post he held until 1984. The Master of Birkbeck, Professor David Latchman, says: “Ronald Tress was an outstanding individual who played a key role in the development of the Birkbeck we know today. I visited him a couple of years ago. Although frail, he remained an outstanding intellect and I greatly enjoyed discussing Birkbeck with him. He even gave me good advice on how to deal with the Academic Board!”

12 College news Future perfect Adetoun Baruwa says Birkbeck has improved her self-esteem

“I feel that I’ve proved to the world probably would have had to forget Below: Psychology graduate Adetoun and most importantly to myself about studying for a degree.” Baruwa (Birkbeck that I'm capable of undergoing For her final-year project Photo Unit) higher education at a world-class Adetoun researched emotional institution, and the beauty of it is intelligence and how it relates to that I was able to do so while decision making. “I've found as a comfortably supporting myself result of my research that financially,” says Adetoun Baruwa, emotional intelligence – or the 37 (BSc Psychology, 2005). capacity to understand and “I chose Birkbeck because the regulate emotions – is as Changes to School of Psychology is highly important as general IQ in rated for research. I was also achieving a well-balanced life. data protection attracted by Birkbeck's convenient There is definitely a need for location in central London, and children to be educated in such There has been a change to the gaining a University of London skills at school.” wording of Birkbeck’s data degree was important too.” Adetoun is now making plans protection notice. Birkbeck Adetoun, who works full-time as to build on her BSc Psychology continues to keep alumni data a secretary, says her favourite degree and enter into a profession securely in-house and does not subject was Research Methods, a working with children in a sell or exchange details with third module that allows students to counselling capacity. parties for sales or marketing differentiate between statistical purposes. The only change to our techniques and understand the use of data is that, along with To find out more about studying theoretical rationale behind them. psychology at Birkbeck, call 0845 601 all other higher education “Even though it was the most 0174, email [email protected] institutions in the UK, we supply a or visit the School of Psychology at challenging module, knowing that www.bbk.ac.uk/psyc small sample of data to the Higher I can carry out a scientific For more information about psychology Education Statistics Agency research at Birkbeck, visit research project to a very good www.bbk.ac.uk/psyc/research (HESA) for the national survey standard is rewarding in itself.” of graduate destinations. “I also liked the fact that my Each year, from 2006, a sample classmates were mature students of those who graduated three from various backgrounds. This, years previously is selected to coupled with our common goal, take part in a longitudinal study enabled me to relate to them, and of graduate destinations. This is it also contributed to my feelings carried out by a surveying of security and assurance.” organisation contracted by HESA. “Studying for a degree at Birkbeck will ensure that all Birkbeck has definitely improved new graduates are offered the my self-esteem,” she adds, “and opportunity to opt out of this being able to study part-time as survey. If you have graduated well as hold down a full-time job within the last two years and wish meant that I didn’t have to to opt out of this survey only, struggle financially. I have a please email [email protected] mortgage and financial security giving your full name and subject is very important to me. Being in of study, with the subject line debt after graduation is an ‘exclude from HESA’. unpleasant and unnecessary burden. I paid my fees by monthly To find out more about the HESA survey, visit direct debit, which suited me. Had www.hesa.ac.uk/dlhe_longitudinal I not known about Birkbeck, I

Alumni news 13 Leading lights The brightest minds are attracted by Birkbeck’s world-class research reputation

“I chose Birkbeck for my MSc impressed. Having the Birkbeck Below (from left to He adds: “I was surrounded by right): Anne Fanning, Occupational Psychology because MSc on my CV has secured Sanjit Roy and Poppy students who were working within the College’s reputation in my assignments too.” Muir (Birkbeck Photo finance, so I had a real connection field is first-class,” says Anne The next step for Anne is to gain Unit). to actual banking and finance Fanning, 48, a self-employed Chartership of the BPS, which her issues. You have to be very driven occupational psychologist MSc allows her to do. “To achieve a to do it and I admired how specialising in the design and merit was fantastic. I have learned focused everyone was.” delivery of recruitment processes, to challenge and critique from an Sanjit now works as a product management development and informed viewpoint, which has manager for a major investment coaching programmes. boosted my confidence and bank in London, managing large Anne says her master’s degree reputation. I would most certainly corporate deals. He aims to has helped her career and she is recommend Birkbeck to others.” continue to build his career in able to use it practically in her Similarly, Sanjit Roy was drawn corporate and investment banking work. “My colleagues now have to Birkbeck because of its and progress into a position greater respect for me. I am reputation in his area of interest. where he can directly influence called upon for advice and I can ”I specifically chose Birkbeck’s MSc strategy and policy. command higher fees. Recently Finance because of the high Poppy Muir, 32, says her time at one of my more challenging research rating of the School of Birkbeck studying for her MA Arts clients asked for my opinion on Economics, Mathematics and Policy and Management was the latest leadership research. Statistics and the experience of the “hugely empowering”. Poppy, who This was a whole module at academic staff,” says Sanjit, 31. works as a projects co-ordination Birkbeck and I was able to have “I wanted a world-class degree officer at a major London art an informed discussion feeling and an opportunity to learn from gallery, says: “My master’s degree very confident and he was visibly lecturers who are pioneers.” is a well-recognised qualification and was instrumental in helping me to secure my current job. The degree broadened my horizons by encouraging a wider, more industry focused knowledge and enabled me to get much closer to achieving my goals.” She continues: “Balancing work and study was challenging at times, but I felt a great sense of achievement on completing each module. My studies helped me to re-focus on my writing skills after 10 years out of an educational environment and gain greater confidence in my abilities. I was happy with the balance between cultural theory and practical theory, and courses such as art law and artistic production were extremely relevant to my work.”

For more information about Master’s degrees at Birkbeck, visit www.birkbeckmatters.com

14 Alumni news says. “The best antidote to the sort of prejudice and bias against me is CHANGING TONE to get the debate going and talk about the issues, which hasn't As Tony Blair prepares to leave Downing Street, Labour leadership happened in the Labour party for contender and Birkbeck graduate John McDonnell tells Catherine about 10 years.” Stevens how he plans to beat Gordon Brown to Number 10 John McDonnell, MP for Harlington and Hayes since 1997 and chairman of the leftwing Campaign Group of around 35 The saviour of the Labour party or MPs, earned his reputation as the a socialist dinosaur? A breath of leading backbench rebel by voting fresh air or the death throes of old against the government 63 times Labour? John McDonnell has been in 2005, including opposing the called many things in his time, extension of the maximum period especially as Ken Livingstone’s for police detention of a terrorist deputy and chair of finance at suspect without charge, as well as the GLC in the early 1980s. the second reading of the higher But it wasn’t until he declared education bill – which included himself as a Labour leadership plans for variable student candidate against Gordon Brown tuition fees. that he received a real barrage of “My candidacy is about the criticism from certain quarters. future. It’s 21st century socialism,” “It is completely predictable,” he he says. “This isn’t old Labour or

Alumni news 15 new Labour, this is the Labour delegates. That’s unbelievable as an party. It’s a straight choice between indication, so if we can get on the me, and Brown and Blair. Brown is ballot paper, we’ll give them a seen as one of the architects of shock. I say to people: put me on the New Labour so he is no different ballot paper and you’ll have a from Blair.” choice. Don’t and we’ll sleepwalk On all the big issues, John into losing the next election.” stresses how he stands in Described as a “man of opposition to the government line. principles” who would “politely “I want immediate withdrawal turn down a slot on a political from Iraq. We need to go straight show to attend his 10-year-old to the United Nations and appeal son’s school sports day” (Guardian, to the rest of the world to help us 14/7/06), what qualities does John out of the mess we’ve created ... I’m think he possesses that elude his opposed to privatising public competitor Gordon Brown? services ... I’m in favour of “It’s not about the personalities – increasing pensions and restoring that’s the whole point of this. We the link with earnings ... I’m are eschewing the traditional opposed to Trident ... I would campaign styles. In the old days, a abolish tuition fees and restore group of MPs would meet, decide grants, and to pay for it, we should who they were going to run and look at corporate taxes which have there would be no policy remained static since 1999 at 3.2% programme whatsoever. It would of GDP.” be about the individual and the But wouldn't this approach lose power play rather than any forms the business vote that helped bring of political principles or policies.” Labour to power? “I don’t think it “We have completely reversed the was business that won it for us,” process. We've gone out as a rank he continues. “In 1997 we and file collective, taking decisions mobilised the traditional coalition on what the policies will be, and that always brings Labour to then deciding who will run. Of power. It’s a whole range of public course people have to trust the What we’ve done in nine years sector workers. It’s those who are individual but we have refused to “is systematically alienate each interested in peace and the get involved in that personality section of the Labour-voting environment, people who want a discussion.” coalition, so I want to bring it decent school at the end of their “We’re not getting much national back together again. Simple street and their local Accident and coverage anyway,” he says. “The enough isn’t it? „ Emergency kept open, and it’s small New Labour leadership elite people who want decent politics. in the House of Commons, and the They threw out the Tories because media that hang about the bars of corruption and sleaze. What here, will not give us any coverage we’ve done in nine years is whatsoever. In fact, they try to systematically alienate each squeeze us out. I always work on a section of the Labour-voting friendly basis but with the New coalition, so I want to bring it back Labour clique there's an arrogance together again. Simple enough isn’t and derision of what we are doing. it?” he laughs. This is because they are cut off The initial hurdle is getting his from the Labour party membership. name on the ballot paper in the first “Time after time I’ve been in TV place. John needs 44 Labour MPs to interviews and they pull me nominate him, which he accepts is because no minister will go on the Previous page: A cardboard cut-out of Tony Blair is removed at the end of the Labour party “a hell of a hill to climb, but we're same platform as me. So we are conference in 2006 (Getty Images) working on it. The Electoral Reform making our own weather: we tour Above: John McDonnell outside the Houses of Parliament (JD Moore) Society’s poll at the Trade Union round the country and we get lots Far right: John McDonnell announces his Congress gave us 58% of the of local coverage. We are using candidacy for Labour party leader (Empics)

16 Alumni news every possible mechanism. want to get back to the situation Never in my life did I think I’d where we restore democracy. We ON BIRKBECK ever have a blog.” have degenerated as a party where When McDonnell enrolled at Birkbeck on the MSc Politics The website launched by his democracy doesn’t exist and and Sociology, he was a researcher for the Trade Union campaign, www.john4leader.org.uk, Cabinet meets for 20 minutes on a Congress and a councillor at the GLC. He studied under boasts the slogan ‘another world is Thursday morning to get their Bernard Crick, Sami Zubaida and the late Paul Hirst, possible’. Launched last July, it orders. The parliamentary Labour graduating in 1981. received nearly half a million hits party has had just one vote in nine “I wanted to keep the brain going and the only way to in its first four months, and John years and that was about the do it was to discipline myself with a course where you are says he has been “overwhelmed by disciplinary procedures against driven to do that essay by having to get it done. So I thousands of emails of support – Labour MPs who speak out against decided on Birkbeck. It was such an exhilarating period and it’s unbelievable”. the whip. And within the party the balance of it was absolutely fantastic. You had Bernard “People want a radical break from itself, conference decisions are Crick wandering up and down the lecture room like a New Labour and there is a warning completely ignored. Roman in a toga. He was such an exciting lecturer.” out there. At the last General “We need to go back to a He continues: “Part-time study has always been a Election we lost 100 seats off our construction of government that is Cinderella service, but more so now than before, and that majority. We then got crushed in the of a broad church, have the debate worries me. Birkbeck’s done a good job of reaching out local elections in many areas. At and then unite around the policies. – I’m a grand believer in that – but there isn’t much best, we are predicting a hung I want less whip votes so that MPs acknowledgement of this in government. More people parliament.” can vote on principle. Without will be looking to come back to study at a later stage in If McDonnell beats Gordon whip votes, we wouldn’t be in Iraq life because they will be deterred by tuition fees and Brown and becomes Prime and we wouldn’t have introduced graduate debt from doing a full-time degree. Birkbeck Minister, he will face a general tution fees.” offers a route through.” election challenge from David “If we can have a democratic “The most important thing about Birkbeck for me was Cameron. So what chance does he debate and leadership election, that it kept me up to speed with theoretical developments. think his Labour party would then whoever wins, the party will People call it a master’s degree because you are mastering stand against the Conservatives? hopefully unite and beat the Tories. a subject and I completely agree with that. It has set me up “We’d win because Cameron is The election should be undertaken for life by making sure I could relate everything back to Blair Mark Two but a bit cuddlier, on the basis of friendship, that initial grounding. It was a good time, but it was hard. I and Cameron has to face up to the comradeship, civility, debate kept falling asleep on the train on the way back to Hayes fact that Blair Mark Two won’t around the policies and then a and ending up in Slough!” work because it will be deeply vote. This approach doesn't show unpopular. On the doorstep, Blair division, that's democracy.” is Labour’ s major disadvantage.” McDonnell is also keen to point out the negative impact the Blair/Brown feud has had on the reputation of his party. “Voters don't like naked ambition or people in politics carving each other up without there being a political point to it. If it’s just ‘oh it’s my turn to become leader' they resent it. Brown’s attempted coup last autumn was like an episode of The Sopranos. It was disgusting because there was not a single political issue debated. I thought it was appalling, it did us damage because it makes us look like a divided party.” However, he is optimistic about the future of his party and has faith that he can rebuild the trust of the voters. “We’ll get over it. I

Alumni news 17 Solid foundation The first recipient of the Benedetta Ciaccia Memorial Fund award has already been promoted

Christian Bosio is the first Benedetta lost her life on 7/7. She “It not only addresses technical recipient of the Benedetta Ciaccia now reminds me that we have so issues, but also provides a critical Memorial Fund award for the many opportunities, while hers awareness of the context in which outstanding graduate of the year were so tragically cut off. I try to they play,” he says. in the Foundation Degree in IT. remember this when I am tempted Christian has since graduated This award is given in memory to put off an action I should take.” with the foundation degree and of Benedetta Ciaccia, who Christian works full-time as a has enrolled on the BSc tragically died in the Aldgate senior IT engineer for the London Information Systems and Tube explosion on 7 July 2005. Business School. He says it was Computing, also at Birkbeck. “I’m Benedetta obtained a Foundation hard work juggling work and enjoying the BSc because I can Degree in IT with Merit from study, but adds: “I realised that continue where I left off and Birkbeck, but sadly did not learn study could immediately benefit pursue my areas of interest.” of her achievement before she work and vice versa. For example, And thanks to his studies, died. The fund was established the programming skills I learnt at Christian was rewarded with a by Birkbeck and her former Birkbeck were easily transferable promotion at work. “I used to work employer, Pearson, the to work, so I could accomplish in a call centre in banking, and international publishing group. more rewarding tasks. Also, my now I feel my change of career “I’d like to thank Birkbeck and work experience provided rests on a more solid foundation.” Pearson for the prize,” says interesting examples when Christian. “I was surprised to writing my essays.” To contribute to the Benedetta Ciaccia receive this award, though the He chose the Foundation Degree Memorial Fund, call the Alumni and Development Office on 020 7079 0718 feeling of elation was soon sobered in IT because he wanted a well- or email [email protected] out when I discovered how rounded approach to the subject.

Waking the New governor dead Professor for graduates

Birkbeck graduate Rachel The graduate community of Summerson (pen-name Elizabeth Birkbeck has voted for Susie Hodge Hawsley) and Jenny Haddon have (MA in History of Art by Research, published Getting the Point, 2002) to represent them as the new aimed at helping adults to alumni governor, serving until 2010. punctuate properly. Between them, “I'm delighted to be part of this the authors have witnessed many unique and innovative College,” perils of punctuation. Take our says Susie (right). “My MA was heading, Rachel’s own example: a such a fulfilling experience that missing comma turns an everyday I’d love to give time to help others campus tale into a ghost story. benefit from similarly satisfying Rachel, who has an MA Victorian experiences, as well as support Studies said, “it was Lucy, one of Birkbeck to expand further its my bright A level students, who higher education provision.” In brought it home to me when she order to spend more time with said: ‘You mean there are rules her two children, Susie left a for commas? I thought you just high-profile advertising career sprinkled them about like black to become an author, illustrator pepper on pizza.’” and teacher.

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The Student Opportunity Fund has undergraduate students who fulfil Below: Kirsty Bailey, store, adds: “I have a young family one of the students been established with the support certain criteria. These grants are who has benefitted and there is no way I could have of Birkbeck’s former students and already proving to be extremely from financial support done a full-time course, so (Birkbeck Photo Unit) friends. The fund provides full popular with Birkbeck students, Birkbeck was the best option – not four-year bursaries to talented with the number of applications least because it also gives people students who are not eligible for this academic year already topping the opportunity to graduate from statutory funding, but who could the total figure from the last year. university debt-free. I’m now not afford to study at Birkbeck Students who are not eligible but thinking about going on to do without support. who need help with childcare or an MA at Birkbeck. I have no To celebrate the launch of the field trip costs, for example, may intention of going anywhere else!” fund, and to congratulate the first apply to the Government Access 10 bursary recipients, the Master to Learning Fund. of Birkbeck, Professor David When Anthony Botros, a BA Latchman, hosted a reception on Accounting and Management 15 November. Cyril Dennis MBE, student, encountered financial one of the founders and principal difficulties, he sought help from supporters of the fund, Birkbeck. “The process was congratulated all recipients on extremely simple and quick. I their commitment and received a fee grant, which covers determination. He also expressed a large proportion of the fees, and his delight at being in the position a course grant to cover the cost of to help others in their quest for textbooks. On top of that, I was improvement and knowledge. given a student travel card with a Speaking on behalf of the fund 30% discount. The financial recipients, Gorm Shackleford, a support from Birkbeck has taken BSc Biodiversity and Conservation the burden out of the cost of student, thanked the donors for studying.” their generosity. He adds: “I decided to join “We are delighted to have given Birkbeck because it provides part- the first 10 bursaries to such a time evening study that lets you varied and talented group of keep up with full-time work, earn students,” says Anna Murphy, an income and gain work Head of Development and Alumni. experience. Birkbeck has a good “It was wonderful for donors to be reputation and gives people a able to meet them and see first- chance to take part in higher hand the difference their education who otherwise might not donations have made.” be able to do so.” Meanwhile, a package of Similarly, Kirsty Bailey, a final- statutory funding for part-time year BA History student, says the students is also new this financial help she received was academic year. These government invaluable to her, with Birkbeck’s grants provide financial support Student Financial Support Office to Birkbeck students who would helping her cover her course otherwise struggle to pay their costs. “It was very easy and fees. everybody I spoke to was helpful,” To find out how you can help support Fees grants of up to £1,125 and she says. “Without this help I Birkbeck students, visit course grants of up to £250 (to would not have been able to www.bbk.ac.uk/alumni/support. For details about new government and Birkbeck cover costs other than fees) are stay at university.” money available for part-time study, visit available for part-time Kirsty, who works in a book www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/finance/ug_finance

Alumni news 21 Soho Theatre, where our play, On Religion, opened for preview on 30 November for a six-week run. Mick had read my book What Is Good? which discusses the debate between religious and secular attitudes to ethics from classical antiquity to the present. It prompted him to bring the central aspects of this debate to the stage. We arrived at the story of a family in which a scientist, well-known for her criticism of religion, falls out with her grown-up son who has espoused Christianity and chosen to become a priest. The split between them is made irresolvable by his death, and it is left to his fiancée, mother of his child, and his father to find a way to continue life. As this quick sketch suggests, the play is not an harangue on one side of the argument only, but an observation of the divide and its Theatre of difference effects, and a consideration of what is necessary for living with AC Grayling on why he is using the theatre to explore “the increasingly the conflict while it remains. bitter difference between those of religious and non-religious outlooks” Mick Gordon and his colleague Chris Haydon interviewed a When Jacob Burckhardt, great One such way is by means of number of luminaries on both student of the Renaissance, taught theatre, though admittedly there sides of the debate, including at the University of Basle, he and have not been many academics as Archbishop Rowan Williams, his fellow professors were such who have taken this route – Richard Dawkins and Don Cupitt. encouraged to be educators not though scholars have done so: one We wove ideas and insights from only of their own pupils but of the could start with Ben Jonson and what they had to say into the text city around them. John Milton and seek others. Some of the play. The result is a drama Today this sentiment would be of the debates and conflicts that simultaneously of the heart and better and more modestly put: the vex society cry out to be explored the mind, which illustrates how university has a role to play in dramatically. One such issue is the matters intellectual are also, and contributing to society’s increasing, and increasingly bitter, too often tragically, matters of conversation with itself from its difference between those of a real human life. stores of learning and the insights religious and non-religious outlook. I usually spend long solitary based upon it. In practice this Over a year ago I was hours and months at my desk, means members of the university approached by Mick Gordon, writing; this joint endeavour was sharing their interests and director of On Theatre, to write a an exhilarating process for me, eagerness with the world outside, play with him about religion. Mick involving not just another writer by at least sometimes is an award-winning ex-associate but gifted actors and a wonderfully communicating in ways both director of the National Theatre, talented stage team. Mick and I are accessible and amenable to it. And who started his own company as planing more plays on great that emphatically does not mean a vehicle for exploring matters themes. dumbing down: there are methods of philosophical importance in Above: AC Grayling AC Grayling is Professor of Applied of eloquence and presentation (right) with Elliot society through the medium of Philosophy at Birkbeck. Visit other than the scholarly Levey, who plays drama. Last year he had an www.bbk.ac.uk/phil for details about Alex in On Religion courses and research at the School dissertation which can inform, (Courtesy Soho outstanding success with On Ego, of Philosophy engage and challenge. Theatre) written with Paul Broks, at the

22 In person Boris has views for Birkbeck Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Boris Johnson MP, gives keynote speech at College Foundation Dinner

Assessment Exercise result which he described as ‘one of the best in the country’. Boris went on to explore the challenge of producing scientists and ways of halting the decline of science subjects in schools and universities. He also expressed his view that while educators and parents should be encouraging to children, they should always be honest, “when you have an eight year old’s homework in front of you and the spelling is so bad that it might as well be Albanian, they have drawn a picture of you that looks like an epileptic hippopotamus on a bad day, you have a choice, do you tell him or her the truth about their exact level of attainment or do you say something encouraging?” Though few of the guests wanted to dwell on the image of an epileptic hippopotamus on a bad A wild mop of white-blonde hair, a Birkbeck was delighted to day, Boris’s speech encouraged a suit creased from cycling around welcome such a colourful, perhaps good discussion amongst the London, a blustering entrance: it even cult figure, as Boris to give audience which included could only be Boris Johnson. At the speech at its Foundation Day Professor Eric Hobsbawm, the end of last year, Boris came to dinner. The annual event is held in President of the College, Professor Birkbeck to give the annual honour of college founder, George David Eastwood, Chief Executive Foundation dinner speech. Birkbeck. The event is held as near of HEFCE, and Professor Mike Since 1995, Boris Johnson has as possible to 2 December, which Thorne, Vice-Chancellor of the been Conservative MP for Henley was the date, in 1823, that George University of East London. on Thames, he is also Shadow Birkbeck launched London’s first- Previous speakers at the dinner Minister for Higher Education, ever Mechanics’ Institution, which have included the Rt Hon Charles although perhaps he is still most evolved into what it is today – Clarke MP (then Secretary of State widely known for his appearances Birkbeck, University of London. for Education) in 2004 and Mr on the BBC satirical programme Boris chose to speak on ways of Michael Grade (then Chief Have I Got News for You. Such is tackling the current challenges in Executive of Channel Four in the impact of his performance, education. In front of the 1994). Every speaker brings with the tabloid press dubbed him the assembled guests, who came from them something unique, but few ‘star’ of the show, after only three the worlds of education, business can be quite as unique as Boris. appearances. More sensibly, he and charity, Boris Johnson spoke was editor of the Spectator and is enthusiastically about Birkbeck. For more information about the history of Birkbeck, please visit a column writer for the Daily He praised Birkbeck’s contribution www.bbk.ac.uk/bbk/history Telegraph for which he won the to teaching and research and was Above: Boris Johnson If you would like to know more about MP, at Birkbeck on the British Press Awards Columnist of particularly impressed by Boris Johnson visit his website day of the Foundation www.boris-johnson.com the Year in December 2005. Birkbeck’s last Research Dinner (Geoff Wilson)

In person 23 ON THE FLY

Despite, or perhaps because, flies are such close-knit intimates of ours, the interweaving of the lives of flies and humans has never been systematically studied, until now, writes Steve Connor

In 1909, a film entitled The Balancing Blue-Bottle was advertised in Charles Urban’s kinematographical catalogue. The film had arisen, we learn, from the ‘discovery by accident of amazing juggling powers in a common Blue-Bottle Fly’. We are promised, after exhibitions of the fly's powers of ropewalking and dumb-bell lifting, the following domestic scene: ‘A very miniature Chippendale chair – made from a pen-holder – is occupied by the upright fly, whose wings, protruding from the rails, absurdly resemble the tails of a morning coat’. More than the rat, the cat, the dog or the horse, the fly is our familiar. Flies accompany human b eings wherever they go and have probably done so since the first development and spread of animal husbandry among early humans. Flies are, as one of their rare celebrants has written, ‘the constant, immemorial witnesses to the human comedy’. Flies were indeed literally thought to be the ‘familiars’ of witches. About one tenth of all the species known to science are flies. Not only this, many creatures that are not flies at all have nevertheless been given the name: dragonflies, butterflies and fireflies; even the flea has a name that factitiously suggests an association with the fly. The spellings ‘flee’, ‘flea’ and ‘flie’ were largely interchangeable in the volatile orthography of pre-18th-century English. The word fly is used to signify any kind of small flying creature of indeterminate form. Flies are so familiar,

continued page 26

24 25 that we allow them to multiply, in kind as well as number, under our noses. And yet, despite, or perhaps because, flies are such close-knit intimates of ours, the interweaving of the lives of flies and humans has never been systematically studied. My book Fly makes a start at this job. It is a contribution to the new but growing field of ‘cultural entomology’, itself a subset of the growing interest among historians of science and culture in the complex relations between human beings and animals. Flies are defined biologically as insects of the order diptera (Greek, two-winged). Diptera are distinguished from other flying insects, such as dragonflies and butterflies, by having only one pair of wings. Where other flying insects have a second pair of wings, many diptera have a pair of club- like balancing organs, known as halteres, named after the counterweights which Greek long-jumpers used to assist their flight through the air. The order of diptera encompasses 29 families, among them crane flies, mosquitoes, midges, horse flies, robber flies, flower flies or hover flies, and vinegar flies or fruit flies. The most well-known and widely- dispersed families of diptera, however, are the muscidae, encompassing musca domestica, the housefly, the stable-fly and the tsetse fly, calliphoridae, or blow flies, the family that includes bluebottles, and sarcophagidae, or flesh flies. It is this class of diptera that is usually meant when we refer to ‘flies’. The reason for this is their conspicuous feeding and breeding habits. The housefly lays its eggs in piles of dung, or other decaying organic matter. The maggots which hatch from these eggs feed on the rotting matter until they pupate. The adult fly, though a promiscuous feeder, also has a taste for this kind of decaying matter. Blowflies and fleshflies prefer to lay their eggs on dead bodies, including the bodies of humans. A sudden appearance of bluebottles in a house will usually indicate that there is a dead animal, such as a mouse, or bird, somewhere at hand. Though some flies will travel up to 15 miles under their own steam, and can be lifted up by winds and thus be transported even further, for the most part

26 Features For centuries, flies have they occupy quite restricted ranges – the Flies’. And yet the loathing for and “shared human habitations about a quarter of mile being the average terror of the fly were a product largely of because of the rich source flight range. How then, for example, can the early 20th century. Before that time, of nourishment provided by a stay-at-home like the housefly have flies had been merely an annoyance. The become so widely diffused across the growth of understanding during the 19th the various kinds of globe? It is almost certainly because of century of the bacteriological nature and excrement, solid and liquid, being carried by humans, in their curiosity transmission of many diseases made the human and animal, that is and restless urge to conquer new fly humanity’s great entomological always so abundantly in territories, and being sustained by the antagonist. In the public health campaigns evidence in them.„ animal upon whom humans have relied for of the earlier 20th century, flies became so long for their conveyance, the horse. an enemy to be exterminated. For centuries, flies have shared human The fly has often prompted reflections habitations because of the rich source of on the nature of form and change. Well nourishment provided by the various kinds into the 18th century, flies, like fleas and of excrement, solid and liquid, human and other insects, were believed to be bred animal, that is always so abundantly in from spontaneous generation. They evidence in them. Once human beings seemed to be the teeming life of matter ceased to be nomadic, and settled in rather than form: the product of chance agricultural and then urban communities, and the perverse embodiment of they ceased to leave their droppings on the mutability itself. road. When human beings came to rest, it There is also a counter-tradition, was their excrements that had to be inaugurated by St Augustine, who scoffed mobilised instead, via gutters, drains, at those who declared flies to be the sewers and other forms of cloacae. So, as servants of the devil, declaring that the human beings began to farm, rather than body of a fly was ‘more glorious than the graze the earth, flies developed an animal lightning’. More recently, Augustine’s husbandry of their own, cultivating human respect for the fly has been revived in beings for the decaying matter of which genetic research, which came to depend they proved to be such prodigiously on the humble fruit fly, Drosophila efficient producers. As one 19th-century melanogaster. The fruit-fly was adopted encyclopaedia put it: ‘The house fly is such as the favoured species for genetic a constant companion of man, that its experimentation because of its presence in a coral or other island is prodigious powers of reproduction and sufficient evidence that human inhabitants the ease with which it could be gathered: are not or have not been far distant’. So, in simply leave half a banana in a a sense, while it is the fly which spreads milkbottle and within hours you would and carries disease to humans, it is also have dozens of willing laboratory humans who spread and carry flies. Flies subjects. Whatever understanding we and humans are reciprocal hitchhikers. have gathered of the processes of genetic And, although flies can bring into our transmission and the development of houses and on to our plates organisms biological form, we owe to this creature. that we would prefer to hold at a safe and No wonder that some geneticists have hygienic distance, the restriction of their come to think of human beings range means that what they bring back themselves as ‘wingless flies with wigs’. to us is mostly our own. Flies bring us disconcertingly to ourselves. Steve Connor is a critic, broadcaster, cultural Long before the discovery of the historian, and Professor of Modern Literature and Theory in the School of English and implication of flies in the transmission Humanities at Birkbeck. He is the author of of pathogens to man (mosquitoes and many books, including The English Novel in History (1995), James Joyce (1996), malaria, the tsetse fly and sleeping Dumbstruck: A Cultural History of Ventriloquism sickness), the fondness of flies for (2000) and The Book of Skin (Reaktion, 2004)

uncleanness and decay led to associations For more information about courses at the Previous page: A bluebottle (Image courtesy with devilry and the demonic. The name of School of English and Humanities, call 0845 Brian Valentine (www.flickr.com/photos/lordv) Beelzebub, traditionally Satan’s lieutenant, 601 0174, email [email protected] or visit Left: A blowfly (Image courtesy Arco-Iris www.bbk.ac.uk/eh Web Designs) is usually explained as meaning ‘Lord of

Features 27 Andrew Jones on whether overseas gap year volunteering perpetuates neo-imperial stereotypes about ‘poor’ Africans or increases knowledge of the plight of low-income countries

Mind the gap

As journalists launched into their annual people undertaking one of these so-called ‘gap year’ debate ahead of the summer ‘volunteer tourism’ placements in a A-level results, my phone started ringing. developing country are actually draining Ever since I carried out a review of gap local resources rather than helping the year provision in the UK for the cause of development. Worse still, this Department for Education and Skills ‘charity tourism’ was said to perpetuate (DfES) in 2004, this has been a feature neo-imperial stereotypes and attitudes of my summer. about ‘poor’ Africans in need of The debate around gap year activities assistance from the West. Overseas gap has become particularly contentious since years were being labelled, if not a the international development charity, complete waste of time, then certainly of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), dubious value, in both development and launched a report arguing that many educational terms. overseas gap year programmes – especially VSO was of course arguing for more gap those in low-income countries in Africa – year providers to develop the kind of do more harm than good. well-organised, locally embedded and The report argues that many young longer-term placements that their own

28 Features youth service programme is based upon. I fostering cross-cultural understanding in The overseas gap year have much sympathy for their argument. a global society resonate with each other. industry is not regulated, The overseas gap year industry, Far from exaggerating or perpetuating “ populated by numerous particularly in low-income countries, is neo-imperial stereotypes about African not regulated, populated by numerous countries, people and cultures, the gap small organisations and small organisations and often lacks year placement experiences I studied often lacks adequate adequate resources on the ground, as well increase understanding of the plight of resources.„ as quality assurance mechanisms. There low-income countries. Many of the young are plenty of examples of badly run people I interviewed were able, by the end programmes, disorganised placements of their placements, to articulate a and ill-conceived projects. sophisticated view of the problems faced Yet the media negativity that surrounded by the host communities and had a VSO’s criticisms did not tell the whole growing interest in, and understanding story. Since writing the DfES review, I have of, cultural difference. spent a further two years focusing on Third, there is the long-term (but overseas gap year placement schemes, relatively intangible) gain of motivating following young people on their gap years young people to consider volunteering in south-east Asia and East Africa through later in life. My research aligned with a the whole experience – from the point they strong body of existing evidence that signed up and were inducted in the UK to those who went on these kinds of the end of their placements and the return placements were much more likely to home. I hope soon to follow up the study volunteer again.The value, therefore, of with a one-year-after phase of further these gap year schemes may be better research asking them to look back at the viewed as a ‘taster’ experience that value of their experience. My findings shapes people’s lifelong activities rather paint a rather different picture to the than as a one-off. Those who undertake a blanket negativity generated by media gap year experience of limited value at coverage of the VSO report. The reality of 18 are likely to be the same people who overseas gap year activities is more you find coming to VSO a decade or complicated and the research suggests a more later. strong set of positive benefits that counter The story of overseas gap years is a mixed the (sometimes justifiable) criticisms being one but they have much that is worth levelled. defending. The negative arguments need to First, in the four low-income countries I be countered by a wider appreciation of the studied, it became quite clear that full impact of these activities. VSO certainly individuals were gaining an enormous offers a model of good practice, and there is amount on a personal level in terms of life an urgent need for the providing sector to skills, maturity, organisational and be pushed in that direction. Yet there is communication skills and, in a wider little evidence that the other schemes do sense, knowledge of the world. The more harm than good. My research evidence that volunteering placements suggests many may be highly ineffective in benefit the volunteer was convincing. development terms but in the worst case What is more, the economic and social they are likely to have the same economic contribution of these volunteers was benefits as tourism. Rather, the challenge widely identified by people in the host for the gap year sector, and those who Dr Andrew Jones is the Head of the School of communities. Clearly, the value of gap might regulate it, is to raise the quality of Geography. His latest work is Dictionary of Globalization (Cambridge: Polity Press 2006), year volunteers depends on the nature of placements. They need to evolve into the which provides a critical overview of the the project and how it is set up, but the kind of locally embedded partnership contemporary globalization debate, bringing placement schemes I studied did produce arrangements that the Department for together all the disparate elements of a vast and ever-growing literature. clear (if modest) positive benefits for host International Development (DfID) now seeks communities. to foster in its development projects. If that For information about geography programmes at Birkbeck, including the BA/BSc Geography Secondly, while this may seem to be a were achieved across the sector, then and Environment and the MPhil/PhD separate issue from the VSO criticism, overseas gap years could become a real Geography, call 020 7631 6473, email [email protected] or visit the research suggests that personal instead of an aspirational contributor to www.bbk.ac.uk/geog development and the objectives of development in the global South.

Features 29 To be human is to be ignorant of many things but it is also to know that you are, says former priest and Birkbeck honorary research fellow Mark Vernon

OUR DOUBT IS OUR PASSION

In 1869, Thomas Henry Huxley coined a and literature. With respect to religion, scientific as well as religious. After all, new term. With the publication of Charles it acknowledges the ethical idealism of we have all hoped that the Enlightenment Darwin’s On the Origin of Species 10 years the life of faith: Huxley was theologian was true: modernity would bring an end earlier, this brilliant Victorian anatomist enough to realise that the question of to fear, by the power of rational science. and zoologist became one of evolution's God was one on which he had to remain Now that it hasn’t, we are spiritually staunchest defenders. He approved of his a committed agnostic. bereft, less capable of embracing the sobriquet, ‘Darwin’s bulldog’. It earned him This is something that the dogmatic uncertainty that is part of the human one of the most famous put-downs in the champions of science and religion forget condition. But we are ‘between beasts confrontations following the publication of in their skirmishing today. It is why they and angels’ in Augustine’s phrase. the groundbreaking book. In 1860, Bishop seem – frankly – so unsophisticated; It is as if we are paying the price for Samuel Wilberforce, son of the anti-slavery they merely reflect each other in an under-investment in traditions of campaigner, had enquired of Huxley fundamentalist fervour. But there is a uncertainty. There are two main strands. whether he was “related to an ape on his wisdom in the crowds: if you believe the First is the one that reaches back to grandfather’s or grandmother’s side?” surveys, more people are agnostic about Socrates: for him reason is the key to Huxley’s reply was equally withering. religion than are either unquestioning wisdom not because it can comprehend He said he would rather have an ape for a believers or militant atheists. Of course, all, but because it exposes the limits of grandfather than a man who substituted many are ‘shrug-of-the-shoulders’ our understanding. Second is the ridicule for science. However, while he agnostics. Theirs is a Catherine Tate theological tradition that begins and ends hoped that science would scotch the attitude to God: ‘Whatever!’ But again with the one thing that is certain in mysteries and authority that he thought if the research is right, many do care. It religion: God is unknown. This is called Christianity perpetuated to the detriment is these people who are packing the apophaticism; it is the theology of the of human progress, he also admitted that cathedrals, drawn by the architecture and mystics for whom the religious quest was science itself was not the final answer. the music because it throws them beyond the search for spiritual experience or For the term he coined in 1869 was the the language of certainties. They are doctrinal certitude but was to enter word ‘agnosticism’. those who perhaps want to get their the cloud of unknowing. His neologism was meant as a rebuke to kids into the local church school: they What has this to do with the all ‘gnostics’ who dogmatically present recognise that the religious setting contemporary situation? When asking the their beliefs as truth. He wrote: “In provides ‘added value’. They are just not ‘big questions’, such agnosticism points matters of the intellect, do not pretend sure how to be agnostic, and could not out that meaning is not found directly, it that conclusions are certain which are quite say why they suspect it matters. does not come off-the-shelf. In this, it is not demonstrated or demonstrable.” This Matter, though, it does. We live in a rather like happiness; “Success in circuit is important because it expresses an world that is not very good at handling lies,” as Emily Dickinson put it. What intellectual humility. With respect to risk – from hoodies on the street corner agnosticism points out is that science, it acknowledges that when it to terrorists in the suburbs, from food understanding comes with experience: comes to the big questions in life, what scares to environmental collapse. Fear is you have to live – to live life in all its science has established “amounts at the name we give to that uncertainty. fullness, as it says in the gospel of St present to very little” – Huxley’s words – Conversely, there is a lust for certainty, John. To turn to books, religious or compared to the wisdom of, say, history seen in various fundamentalisms, rationalist, and expect meaning to leap

30 Features It is as if we are paying “the price for an under- investment in traditions of uncertainty.„

at you off the page is to turn to the abstract for that which has to be embodied. And agnosticism cultivates a fascination with questions, as opposed to an obsession with answers, because that is what it is to be most fully human. Keats summed it up well in his negative capability: “When man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” To be human is to be ignorant of many things but it is also to know that you are – to be ignorant but not pig ignorant. To develop that sense is to deepen one’s humanity. “Our doubt is our passion,” as Henry James put it. It is time to recognise that when the truth of things is not demonstrated or demonstrable, what is needed is not the knock-out blow, but the humanly richer, intellectually humbler and politically necessary terrain of the committed, passionate agnostic.

Dr Mark Vernon is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck and a writer, journalist and broadcaster – notably on BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time. He began his professional life as a priest in the Church of England. His academic interests led him from physics to philosophy via theology. He has a PhD from Warwick in philosophy, degrees in theology from Oxford and Durham, and a physics degree from Durham. He is the author of Science, Religion and the Meaning of Life; The Philosophy of Friendship; and Business: the Key Concepts

READER OFFER: Dr Vernon’s book is on sale at www.marvernon.com, with a 20% discount (£14.99). Use code WLIFE2006a when you reach the checkout.

To find out more about studying philosophy at Birkbeck, visit www.bbk.ac.uk/phil Letterbox Here is a small selection of what you had to say about the new-look BBK magazine

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I enjoyed the smaller-look magazine. I particularly like the fact that you give a good amount of space to articles of general interest, not just college news, which makes it a really good read. Sylvia Moody this way. As an “Love the size and the BSc Psychology, 1981; PhD, 1984 international student, it colour pictures, it looks brings me back to London altogether more readable I have just finished reading BBK and Birkbeck.” and attractive.” and I thought I’d let you know “Thanks to the magazine I “I meet people who have that I not only found the content feel more connected to Birkbeck Above: The relaunched missed out on post- version a good read and the design very than to my other colleges and I of BBK magazine school education and give it to pleasing on the eye – I also much like feeling part of an academic them where appropriate.” prefer the new smaller format family I really admire.” “It reflects well on the College.” which I found to be more “I enjoy the academic tone.” “It confirms and continues my user-friendly. “A first-rate and most interesting good opinion of Birkbeck and Colin Wood production.” conveys aspects of the College’s Diploma in Computing Science, 1987 “Very readable and user- unique value in each issue.” friendly.” “The new look BBK is fantastic. I Many of you also complimented “A good product. Professional love the size and the addition of BBK using the readers’ and well-presented.” colour.” questionnaire: “Thanks to all concerned for “What a refreshing change.” taking such care over it. Please “I would like to add my “I like receiving it and so does my keep up the good work.” appreciation for the well- non-Birkbeck husband!” “I learn about different subjects produced and informative alumni “It’s great to maintain through it.” magazine.” connections with my very recent “It’s really well-produced, “Congratulations on a superb academic past.” balanced and interesting read new edition.” “It enables a feeling of – well done.” camaraderie among fellow “Maintains very high standards.” Details of where to send your Birkbeck students.” “I enjoy the magazine a lot. I like comments on this issue of BBK “I really enjoy keeping in touch its neat lines and clarity.” can be found on the opposite page.

32 Letterbox Spring 2007 Birkbeck’s events and books

Diary dates is essential. Recent books To reserve a place, email New year – new course? [email protected] or Images of Power: Why not sign up for a call 020 7631 6669 Iconography, Culture and the bbk certificate, diploma or short State in Latin America course? Courses start Tuesday 1 May Jens Andermann and William General correspondence throughout the year. Birkbeck Open Evening Rowe (editors) External Relations, For more information visit 4pm–7.30pm Berghahn Books, 2006 Birkbeck, University www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce Royal National Hotel, of London, Bedford Way, London WC1 The Handbook of Trust Malet Street, 8 February To register, visit Research Bloomsbury, Birkbeck Open Evening www.bbk.ac.uk/openeve, Reinhard Bachman and London WC1E 7HX 4pm–7.30pm call 0845 601 0174 or email Akbar Zaheer (editors) Venue: Royal National Hotel, [email protected] Edward Elgar, 2006 Editorial Bedford Way, London WC1 Sarah McCarthy To register, visit Saturday 2 June Marketing and Football: An T: 020 7631 6569 www.bbk.ac.uk/openeve, One day programme – International Perspective E: [email protected] call 0845 601 0174 or email The Enigma of Pain Simon Chadwick (editor) [email protected] and its Management Elsevier’s sport marketing Design Course is free but booking series, 2006 James Brown Wednesday 14 February is essential. E: [email protected] George Orwell Memorial To reserve a place, email Empire Lecture by Neal Ascherson [email protected] Alejandro Colas Birkbeck Society Homo Brittanicus, or call 020 7631 6669 Polity Press, 2006 Alison Archer Scotophobia and All That T: 020 7631 6563 5pm. Date and venue TBC Thursday 28 June The Form of Things: Essays E: [email protected] For details, email Birkbeck Open Evening on Life, Ideas and Liberty [email protected] or call 4pm–7.30pm AC Grayling Photography 020 7631 6571 Royal National Hotel, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2006 JD Moore Bedford Way, London WC1 Christina Panagi Saturday 17 March To register, visit The Renaissance Hospital: Geoff Wilson One day programme – Stress www.bbk.ac.uk/openeve, Healing the Body and Souls Jon Wilson Without Distress in Health call 0845 601 0174 or John Henderson Course is free but booking email [email protected] Yale University Press, 2006

Birkbeck-Wiener Library public lecture series: Memory and the Camps

Venue: Birkbeck 15 February 25 April Times: TBC Tzvetan Todorov Orlando Figes Admission is free but The Memory of Concentration The Gulag in Memory registration is required: Camps call 020 7636 7247 or email 12 June [email protected]. 13 March Volkhard Knigge Ulrich Herbert Complexity as Opportunity: For details visit The Nazi Concentration Camps: History and Memory in the www.bbk.ac.uk/hca/news/ formation, development and Buchenwald memorial This magazine is printed wienerlecture conceptualisation after 1990 on 70% recycled paper.

Spring 2007 33 I want I want a the best world-class teaching research university I want to study in the LONDON’S evening NO1 UNIVERSITY

Birkbeck – where you matter 0845 601 0174 birkbeckmatters.com

London’s ONLY specialist provider of part-time, evening higher education. Prestigious University of London qualifications. World-class research environment. Ranked number one by students*.

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