A Bright New Ashmolean Museum Reopens After £61M Refit
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Volume 22 No 2 | HilARY 2010 Oxford Today The Universi T y M a g a z i n e Staking a claim for the future sir David King on greening society A bright new Ashmolean Museum reopens after £61m refit Perils from the past Margaret MacMillan on abusing history Python’s progress Terry Jones on student days 01016 OxfordTodayA4 20/1/10 13:16 Page 1 EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AT OXFORD WHERE BUSINESS IS MORE THAN AN ACADEMIC INTEREST CEO? DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL? STRATEGY CONSULTANT? FINANCE DIRECTOR? SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL We will help you address the challenges you face at the critical transitions in your career. Our executive programmes combine teaching from a world class business school with insights from across the University of Oxford. We understand the complexity of leadership development. Choose from our wide range of Our custom programmes can be open programmes covering: tailored to suit your organisation’s strategic needs. GENERAL MANAGEMENT Participate in an executive LEADERSHIP education programme and STRATEGY AND CHANGE rekindle your relationship with Oxford – let us help you in the FINANCE next step in your career. SARAH ELLNER T +44 (0)1865 422737 [email protected] WWW.SBS.OXFORD.EDU THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD: EDUCATING LEADERS FOR 800 YEARS Editor: Greg Neale Designer: Richard Boxall Head of Publications and Web Office: Anne Brunner-Ellis Editorial Assistants: Janet Avison, Martin Harrington, Anthea Oxford Today Milnes, Elizabeth Tatham The Universi T y M a g a z i n e Picture Editor: Joanna Kay Editorial Advisory Board: Hilary highlights Alan Bell Anne Brunner-Ellis David Clary, ndon o 12 l 16 31 48 President, Magdalen College phil sayer topham/pa Paddy Coulter jude edginton llection, Sue Cunningham, o Director of Development c Mary Dejevsky, The Independent vid King a Zoe Flood d Jeremy Harris, Director of Public Affairs Nancy Kenny, Director of Alumni Relations Oliver Rawlins, UK Film Council Richard Repp, Past Chairman, Oxford University Society Gillian Reynolds, saving the planet, Why history can be a Making a splash: the a Python’s progress: The Daily Telegraph making a profit dangerous discipline ocean record-breaker Terry Jones’s Oxford Sally Shuttleworth, Head of the Humanities Division Rachel O'Kane, Wiley-Blackwell University news Features Editorial enquiries: Janet Avison Public Affairs Directorate 2 News 12 Wanted: a 21st-century renaissance Tel: 01865 280545 Undergraduate applications soar; Fax: 01865 270178 The Oxford Today interview: Sir David King, Director of the [email protected] warnings over state funding cuts; Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, on how www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk the Ashmolean reopens academics, policy-makers and private companies can come Alumni enquiries, including 11 Appointments and awards together to drive environmentally desirable development change of address: Claire Larkin 23 Science findings 16 History – handle with care Alumni Office Tel: 01865 611610 26 Sport/Student scene Margaret MacMillan, Warden of St Antony’s College, makes [email protected] The sporting clubs that keep their the case for greater historical understanding – and warns of the www.alumni.ox.ac.uk distance; new president for the Oxford potential misuse of history in the hands of the unthinking or University of Oxford Union; students win drama awards the unscrupulous University Offices Wellington Square 20 Piecing together the causes of lives torn apart Oxford OX1 2JD New research analysis suggests a key to understanding the Advertising enquiries: Landmark Publishing Services arts and ideas devastating disease multiple sclerosis may be through genetic 7 Adam Street signposting. Michael Gross talks to the Oxford-based scientist London WC2N 6AA 34 Museums and galleries who is examining the evidence Tel: 020 7520 9474 Fax: 020 7520 9475 Arts, music and exhibitions this term 24 The Broad view [email protected] 36 Distractions Publisher: Prize crossword, bridge and chess 48 My Oxford Wiley-Blackwell Terry Jones, writer, historian and member of the Monty Python 9600 Garsington Road 37 Reviews team, on a student career that helped shape the future of Oxford OX4 2DQ The term’s new books Tel: 01865 776868 comedy Fax: 01865 714591 40 Poetry www.blackwellpublishing.com Printed in Great Britain by Volume 22 No 2 | HilARY 2010 Headley Brothers Ltd, Kent Oxonian extra COVER PICTURE issn 0954–1306 Oxford Today Brave new world: the The Universi T y M a g a z i n e Oxford Today is published in February, June and October. It 28 Oxonians at large cascading staircase at the Staking a claim is free to Oxford graduates and Running national artistic institutions, for the future Ashmolean Museum, one of richard bryant/arcaid is available to non-graduates sir David King on rowing across the Indian Ocean – Oxford’s greatest treasures greening society on subscription. For further Oxonians making their mark around information and to subscribe and visitor attractions, which A bright new the world online, please visit has reopened its doors after Ashmolean www.blackwellpublishing.com/oxto Museum reopens 32 Alumni Office news after £61m refit and click on ‘Subscribe/Renew’ a £61 million redevelopment. Special offers; help for a new generation (see page 43 for further details). The revamp has created Perils from © The Chancellor, Masters and of students; events; travel programme the past many fine new galleries and Margaret MacMillan Scholars of the University of on abusing history 45 Obituaries conservation facilities. For Oxford Python’s progress 46 Letters Terry Jones on The opinions expressed in news and more pictures from student days Oxford Today are those of Secondary education and Oxford the Ashmolean, see pages the contributors, and are not admission; climate change; human necessarily shared by the 8 and 34. University of Oxford. perfectability; wartime recollections Advertisements are carefully vetted, but the University can take no responsibility for them. OFORDX T O DAy . Hilary Issue 2010 1 univer s I T y NewsFeature Undergraduate applications top pa photocallpa h p 17,000 as state school bids surge PA otocal Oxford received more than 17,000 process, an online video ‘wall’ featuring applications last year for around 3,000 Oxford students from diverse backgrounds, undergraduate places in 2010, an increase of and by publishing sample interview questions 12% over 2008. This included a 17% increase in order to demystify the interview process. in applications from state-educated students, Eilidh Brown participated in an outreach indicating that Oxford’s efforts to widen programme, and is now studying law with access are bearing fruit. German law at Brasenose. She said: ‘I There were 1,110 extra applications believed all the myths: that the students were from state school students, 399 more from all rich and all stuck-up. Each workshop, independent school students, and 299 residential and meeting chipped away at this additional applications from other, mainly opinion until I realised that the only thing interna tional, students. Applications from stopping me applying was my own belief that state schools for entry in 2010 represent 64% I wouldn’t fit in.’ of the UK total, compared to 60% for last year. While progress has been made in Mike Nicholson, Director of widening access, challenges remain. In Undergraduate Admissions, said: ‘This 2008–9, 55% of admitted students were is great news. We have worked hard to educated in the state sector, compared to ensure that all students with the potential to 60% of applicants. However, the University succeed at Oxford apply, regardless of their pointed out that the highest rate of background.’ conversion from applicants to actual students In the academic year 2008–9, the is for those from state grammar schools, out the best potential students among these, University spent a total of around £2.8 million with a 30.8% success rate. Applications from the selection process relies on a combination on outreach activities, including targeted independent schools have a 29.4% success of aptitude tests, written work, interviews schools programmes, summer schools for rate, while for state schools overall, the figure and references. Nicholson stressed that the promising students from disadvantaged is 25.1%. University regularly reviews each step in the backgrounds, and longer-term aspiration- Despite the increase in demand, the process to ensure that the best candidates are raising initiatives such as the Oxford young number of places available at Oxford remains selected, regardless of background. Ambassadors programme and Black Boys Can. static, meaning that getting a place is Data published by UCAS (the Universities Oxford has also endeavoured to debunk becoming increasingly competitive. Nearly and Colleges Admissions Service), in early myths about the University via initiatives all the applicants are predicted three As at November, when applications to Oxford and such as podcasts about the admissions A level or the equivalent, and for picking Cambridge were complete, while applications Novak Druce funds Universities must seek new revenue, centre for research into minister says, amid warnings on cuts professional service firms British universities have been urged to find Department for Business, Innovation and Intellectual property law firm Novak new sources of income – a course long taken Skills is responsible for universities, insisted Druce & Quigg LLP has donated £1.5 by Oxford – amid concerns over the level of that cuts in spending did not reverse ‘a million to fund the Novak Druce Centre government support. decade of investment in excellence’, but said for Professional Service Firms at the Saïd David Lammy, Minister for Higher that universities could not escape the squeeze Business School. The Centre will be led by Education, said in January that universities on public finances. Christopher McKenna, Reader in Business would have to find new sources of income Commenting on the Russell Group History and Strategy. for ‘a good few years’ before levels of public statement, a spokesperson for Oxford said: Greg Novak, the Managing Partner and spending would rise again.