UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OXFORD ISSUE 7 | AUTUMN 2017 CAN A MAGNET READ YOUR MIND? Considering the implications of mind reading technology ALSO IN THIS ISSUE REDEFINING DU MAURIER THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE A GRAND DAY OUT Daphne du Maurier, from Captain Reassessing the legacy of Harold The Discovery Academy comes to Hook to Hitchcock Wilson, the underrated pragmatist College Contents From the Editor he University of Oxford has just Contents Tbeen named the best university in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Ranking. Retaining the top spot for a second year is a remarkable achievement and I hope you will all take pride in your University’s success. Collections It has also been a good year for your College. Our finalists have done exceptionally well in their exams (page 4), plans are underway for a new development in North Oxford (page 13), and, thanks to support from our donors, Univ has launched the Opportunity Programme. The Opportunity Programme is about encouraging the brightest students, regardless of background, a goal we share with Tom Grand (2012, History) who brought a group of pupils from The Discovery Academy to College (page 28). Watch this space for future students. Also looking to the future is award- 08 10 winning science writer Julia Gottwald (2012, Neuroscience) who discusses mind reading technology (page 14). Elsewhere, From the Master 02 Your views 03 Sir Ivor Crewe explores the new Was Brexit really such a surprise? Dr Laura Varnam explores du Maurier, political division from Hook to Hitchcock (page 20), and Sir Ivor Crewe reassesses the legacy of Univ Fellow and Prime Minister 1964 - 70 Fellows’ news 04 Challenging core beliefs 05 and 1974 - 76, Harold Wilson (page 24). New appointments and the dreaded Paula Koelemeijer measures the music You may notice our magazine has Norrington Table of the Earth a new look. Thank you to all the Old Members, students and staff who took part in The Martlet survey we ran earlier this year. We listened to what you said, and we’ve implemented many of the We departed just before changes you suggested. Do let us know Christmas. We wouldn’t what you think. Martin Cornish see land again until early Communications Officer 06 February” University College, Oxford, OX1 4BH www.facebook.com/universitycollegeoxford What’s online 08 My view of Univ 09 www.twitter.com/univoxford Old Masters in the Hall and “defaced” Ellen Brewster (2016, English) www.instagram.com/univcollegeoxford books in the archive Registered charity no. 1141259 © University College, Oxford,2017 College news 10 Event news 12 News from the High What’s been, and what’s to come Produced by B&M Design & Advertising www.bm-group.co.uk The opinions expressed in The Martlet are those of the contributors Development news 13 and not necessarily those of University College. All content correct at A fantastic year of fundraising, and the time of going to print. plans for expansion in North Oxford A large print version of this magazine is available on request. Contents 49 What terrible scandal involved our Master, James Franck Bright, in 1892?” Features Finals 14 20 36 Can a magnet read your mind? Redefining du Maurier Univ album 31 Julia Gottwald (2012, Neuroscience) Dr Laura Varnam explains why Daphne du Michael Macaulay (1983, Law) thinks it’s time to consider the Maurier is being redefined as one of the implications of mind reading technology greatest writers of the 20th century Tools of my trade 32 Elizabeth Adams, College Librarian Leading questions 34 Gigi Woo (1992, Law) Honourable mentions 35 Christina Lamb (1983, PPE), and Prof Christopher Eisgruber (1983, Politics) True blue 36 24 28 Rebecca te Water Naudé (2015, Medicine) The art of the possible A grand day out Clubs and societies 38 Sir Ivor Crewe reassesses the legacy of Tom Grand (2012, History) brought a Harold Wilson, the underrated pragmatist group of students to College for a school Announcements 40 who believed in the art of the possible trip with a serious message In memoriam 44 A walk round the quad 48 Wilson kept the UK in the European Community Robin Darwall-Smith (1982, Classics) through the device of the 1975 Referendum, unlike the hapless Cameron” Logic Lane 49 Collections From the Master Sir Ivor Crewe explores the new political division and how it’s changing the way we vote. n 8 June the College watched mortgage they can afford in a chronically Oelection night in a packed Hall, expensive housing market. and when at 10.01p.m. David Dimbleby There are The second is the English tradition announced the exit-poll prediction the of going away to university rather than cheers could be heard in Merton Street. now dozens living at home and commuting daily to Univ students had turned out in large of “university the local university, as students do in numbers and mainly voted Labour, as had much of the rest of Europe. Graduates students across Oxford and the country. constituencies” rarely return to work in their home I asked some of them why. Jeremy across the UK and towns (except to London). They break Corbyn’s pledge to abolish tuition fees ties with former friends and create new (and graduate debt) was not the deciding they voted quite networks at university which endure reason, they insisted. More important differently from long after graduation (particularly from were the risks that a majority Conservative an Oxbridge college), they marry fellow government posed for public services, the rest of the graduates, and they form separate Brexit, fairness and opportunity for their country in June” communities of interest and sentiment. families as well as themselves. There are now dozens of “university For the past century, income and constituencies” across the UK and they occupation have been the primary voted quite differently from the rest of influence on how the British vote. In the the country in June. June election, for the first time, age and Tuition fees and associated “debt” education were more important, as they will inevitably be a major issue at the were in the Brexit Referendum a year next election. The Labour party will not earlier. Oxford East, where most students abandon an electorally popular promise vote, is now among the safest Labour and the Conservatives will feel bound seats in the country. British elections turn to respond. There is plenty of scope to on a new political division, between a make the current system less onerous younger generation of graduates, mobile and more sustainable. But the wholesale and broadly liberal and international in replacement of fees by tax-funded outlook, for whom globalisation is an government grants to universities would opportunity, and an older generation result in fewer university places, poorer of the uncertificated, with conservative quality and (probably) additional taxes and nationalist instincts, for whom on non-graduates. None of this would globalisation is a threat. benefit the Labour party’s traditional Two particular features of English low-income supporters. But it might be higher education are moulding a younger thought to benefit its new affluent voters. generation of university graduates into a distinct voting class. The first is the tuition fee loan liability, by far the highest in Europe. Wrongly described as a mortgage-style “debt”, this takes the form of a 9 percent supplementary tax on annual earnings above £21,000. It does not affect personal credit ratings but it does significantly reduce the disposable income of graduates, and limits the Sir Ivor Crewe 2 | The Martlet | Autumn 2017 Collections Your view 61% Letters, emails, posts and tweets. The number of you who said you read most or all of The Martlet, in our recent survey. A great start, but we can do better with your help. Tell us what you’d like to see at bit.ly/univmqen Lord Cockfield, explicitly charged by Young Univ Gallery THE YOUNG UNIV GALLERY | THE MARTLET Margaret Thatcher with the mission to This is absolutely amazing!! Thank you so Over the past months, the College has created a photographic record of almost 50 Old Members aged 35 or under called The Young Univ Gallery. The gallery highlights many of the important, unusual and impressive journeys taken by our young alumni. All of the SPRING 2017 portraits will be on display in College from March 2017. The project aims to inspire current and prospective students by showing the construct a single market. We visited much for sharing the video. It’s incredibly wide range of paths open to them on leaving College. All of the portraits will also be on display on a dedicated website, along with extensive biographies, interviews and a short fi lm about the project. We hope everyone will be inspired by The Young Univ Gallery. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OXFORD ISSUE 6 SPRING 2017 government leaders from Greece to inspiring and thoughtful and makes me Ireland to urge them to overcome the so proud of Univ and all our alumni. many objections. We encouraged Jacques Well done for bringing this to life and Delors to move towards a single currency inspiring all our future Univ graduates. THE as the logical completion of the single Love it. YOUNG UNIV market, essential for European prosperity, Joanne Marriott GALLERY as we argued. But British interest faded (1999, Earth Sciences) CELEBRATING INSPIRATIONAL OLD MEMBERS to nothing, and from that day to this no UNDER 35 British leader expressed real support for the European idea or made a real effort to counter the black propaganda in the press. Even the Bank of England briefed ALSO IN THIS ISSUE VETERAN JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER RAJDEEP SARDESAI (1986) ISSUE 6 journalists that the euro zone would fall THE ASSASSIN IN THE COMPUTING ROOM: PRINCE YUSUPOV AND THE ‘MAD MONK’ SHOOTING THE PAST WITH ALEX VON TUNZELMANN (1996) apart during the great crisis, just as they had once briefed the banks that the euro would never happen.