Volume 22 No 3 | TRINITY 2010 Oxford Today The Universi T y M a g a z i n e Helping politics go with a swing David Butler on television elections Food for thought Rick and John Stein on boosting brains The men who shaped science Melvyn Bragg on Oxford and the Royal Society 01111 297x210 Oxford Today CAP3_Layout 1 22/04/2010 09:57 Page 1 TURN AMBITION INTO ACHIEVEMENT ENTREPRENEUR? FINANCE MANAGER? BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER? THE OXFORD CAREER ACCELERATION PROGRAMME This innovative general management programme will unlock your leadership potential and position you for the next level of your career. Three short modules allow you to combine study with a demanding career. Apply now for September 2010 www.sbs.oxford.edu/ca CAROLINE WILLIAMS T +44 (0)1865 422583 [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: Trinity highlights Alan Bell i Anne Brunner-Ellis D David Clary, 7 16 45 48 President, Magdalen College Paddy Coulter Sue Cunningham, christian sinibal Director of Development jens ressing/Dpa/corbus pt of engineering science Mary Dejevsky, The Independent e D Zoe Flood Katie Gray, Member, e D ita ita greer/ Oxford University Society r Jeremy Harris, presi nt & fellows of st john’s college Director of Public Affairs Nancy Kenny, Director of Alumni Relations Oliver Rawlins, UK Film Council Gillian Reynolds, s ecuring her future: s cientifically thinking: e lizabeth Fallaize: Looking back: a The Daily Telegraph getting girls to school 350 years of the rs a scholar of renown novel view of Oxford Rachel O'Kane, Wiley-Blackwell Editorial enquiries: Janet Avison Public Affairs Directorate University news Features Tel: 01865 280545 Fax: 01865 270178 2 News 12 Going with the swing [email protected] www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk University plans to meet funding cuts; The Oxford Today interview: David Butler, psephologist and Alumni enquiries, including School hits $100 million target; from the political statistician, tells Greg Neale about six decades of election change of address: Brontës to the Beatles; Tutu’s call to end broadcasting – and an unforgettable evening with Winston Claire Larkin conflict; Editorial: a new publisher for Churchill Alumni Office Oxford Today Tel: 01865 611610 16 Interrogating Nature – to reveal God’s way? [email protected] 11 Appointments and awards Melvyn Bragg celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Royal www.alumni.ox.ac.uk 23 Science findings Society with an examination of the links between religious University of Oxford The toothless ocean giant University Offices thinking and the ideas of the men who laid the groundwork for a Wellington Square 26 Sport/Student scene new scientific understanding of the world Oxford OX1 2JD How Oxford helped put a woman Advertising: into Wisden’s five; Boat Race blues and 20 Idle scholar who brought local language to book Landmark Publishing Services bouquets Hold on to your Haggle-Cart and Larrup a Codnopper at Hynny For advertising enquires: Marie Longstaff Pynny, or I’m a Matter-Fangled Nuppit. Possibly. Chris Sladen Future Plus delves into dialect studies at Oxford, and salutes the Yorkshireman Beaufort Court arts and ideas who laid the groundwork 30 Monmouth Street Bath BA1 2BW 34 Museums and galleries 24 The Broad view 01225 822849 www.futureplc.com 36 Distractions 48 My Oxford Publisher: Prize crossword, bridge and chess Naomi Alderman, one of Britain’s brightest young writers, tells of Wiley-Blackwell 9600 Garsington Road 37 Reviews her student highs and lows, and how a novelist’s Oxford stills owes Oxford OX4 2DQ The term’s new books a debt to Brideshead Revisited Tel: 01865 776868 40 Poetry Fax: 01865 714591 www.blackwellpublishing.com Printed in Great Britain by Volume 22 No 3 | TRINITY 2010 seum Headley Brothers Ltd, Kent Oxonian extra u COVER PICTURE m issn 0954–1306 Oxford Today As the Ashmolean Museum The Universi T y M a g a z i n e Oxford Today is published in 28 Oxonians at large underwent a £61 million hmolean February, June and October. It The academic and the celebrity chef; the s redevelopment, its Chinese artist Helping politics go a is free to Oxford graduates and Martian explorer and the micro-credit with a swing is available to non-graduates in residence Weimin He was David Butler on organiser – Oxonians making their mark television elections on subscription. For further recording the work in a series of information and to subscribe 32 Alumni Office news Food for thought drawings, sketches and woodcuts, Rick and John Stein contact Janet Avison Come to this year’s Alumni Weekend – on boosting brains (see page 43 for further details). including this image (the original full booking details © The Chancellor, Masters and is monochrome) of a builder Scholars of the University of 33 Travel Photography Competition against the Oxford skyline. The Oxford 45 Obituaries book is reviewed on page 40 – The opinions expressed in and you can win a copy as the Oxford Today are those of 46 Letters prize for successfully completing the contributors, and are not The men who Using and abusing history; human this issue’s crossword, which shaped science necessarily shared by the Melvyn Bragg on Oxford University of Oxford. perfectability; Oxford dramatics; using appears on page 36 and the Royal Society Advertisements are carefully and abusing Latin vetted, but the University can take no responsibility for them. OXONIANUNIVERSITY EXTRA OxonianNews olonski m University cuts spending s eg r as education funding g constraints begin to bite The University is planning to reduce the cost challenges we need to do two things’, he of administrative services and Academic said: ‘our best to mitigate the impact of cuts, Services and University Collections (ASUC) and all we can to maximise other sources of by 10 per cent over three years, in light funding available to us.’ of the constrained funding environment. Professor Hamilton stressed the ongoing Latest estimates indicate that Britain’s higher importance of the Campaign for the University education sector is facing cuts totalling nearly of Oxford. ‘So far as the second challenge £450 million. of maximising all of our income streams is Constraints on capital expenditure and concerned, it is heartening to report that staff recruitment imposed in October 2008 the Campaign for the University of Oxford remain in place, meaning that leavers are continues to do well in what are obviously says that maintaining the exceptional quality not automatically being replaced and more difficult circumstances and now totals over of Oxford’s provision will be a formidable stringent criteria are being applied to the £780 million’, he said. (It has since passed £800 challenge, if fee income is capped at the current creation of new posts and new buildings. The million: see page 5.) level, while public funding is cut. University is also encouraging staff to take The Vice-Chancellor’s letter followed It also states that Oxford has not seen a advantage of the Oxford Mobility Incentive the University’s first submission to the decline in applications from under-represented Scheme (OMIS), which offers them the Independent Review of Higher Education groups since higher fees were introduced opportunity to retire early. Funding and Student Finance, chaired by in 2006. In fact, the University has seen a At the same time, the University is Lord Browne of Madingley. The purpose significant increase in applications from state reviewing teaching provision, and there are of the review is to assess how much the school students, suggesting that the higher fees proposals for a ring-fenced endowment fund beneficiaries of higher education – graduates, have not threatened broader access to date. for joint teaching posts, funding for colleges, employers and society as a whole – should The University’s second submission to the and deficit support for humanities and contribute to the overall cost of provision. Browne Review in May, which addresses future mathematical, physical and life sciences. The University’s first submission in policy on fees and funding, recommends that In a letter to members of the University January, which focused on the impact of the cap on tuition fees – currently £3,225 per in February, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor current fees and funding arrangements, says annum – should be lifted. Similar pleas were Andrew Hamilton, outlined the financial that the average public funding per student made by Cambridge University and the Russell challenges facing Oxford over the coming fell by 40 per cent in real terms during the Group, which represents 20 of the country’s top months and years. ‘In the face of these 1990s, although it has risen since the 90s, and universities. Alumni aid ‘helps colleges weather the storm’ seum u m Oxford’s 36 independent colleges reported a addition to the £53 million contribution to 7 per cent fall in endowments during the year endowments, colleges received £18 million s to 31 July 2009 – a substantial reduction, but in income gifts and £8 million in capital gifts. a hmolean less than that experienced by many North Conference profits contributed an estimated American universities. £10 million. The colleges’ financial statements, Commenting on the results, Frances published in February, show a surplus for Lannon, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall and the year of £6 million, on a total income of Chairman of the Conference of Colleges, £281 million. Donations grew strongly. In said: ‘Many colleges are fortunate to have, serving on their investment committees, yer a s Old Members who have highly successful il h p careers in fund management.