www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk Trinity Term 2011 Volume 23 No 3 OXFORD TODAY THE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 22 | SIR ANDREW MOTION | PHILIP PULLMAN SAVING THE ARTS IN BRITAIN 32 | GOODBYE MUBARAK YEAR OF THE FACEBOOK REVOLUTIONS? 35 | EDWARD BURNE-JONES ROMANTIC TO THE POINT OF MODERNISM 38 | PG WODEHOUSE LANGUAGE AS PLAYTHING WHERE WE’RE HEADING James Martin interprets our century OXFORD TODAY EDITOR:;iI`Z_Xi[Cf]k_flj\ DEPUTY ART EDITOR:DXibD`kZ_\cc HEAD OF PUBLICATIONS AND WEB OFFICE: 8ee\9ilee\i$<cc`j PRODUCTION EDITOR:Fc`m`XDfi[jc\p SUB EDITOR:<c`qXY\k_KXk_Xd PICTURE EDITOR:AfXeeXBXp DESIGN DIRECTOR:;pcXe:_Xeefe EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES:AXe\k8m`jfe AL;><J GlYc`Z8]]X`ij;`i\ZkfiXk\ Tel:'(/-,)/',+, IF9 Fax:'(/-,).'(./ # ALUMNI ENQUIRIES, <JJ@FEJ INCLUDING CHANGE OF ADDRESS::cX`i\CXib`e PJ 8clde`F]ÔZ\ F9 Tel:'(/-,-((-(' 1A @D8>< Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[#Le`m\ij`kpF]ÔZ\j# <I M N\cc`e^kfeJhlXi\#Fo]fi[FO()A; :F Trinity Term 2011 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: DXi`\Cfe^jkX]] =lkli\Gclj#9\Xl]fik:flik#*'Dfedflk_Jki\\k#9Xk_98()9N Tel:'()),/))/+0 Fo]fi[Kf[Xp`jglYc`j_\[`eDXiZ_#Ale\Xe[FZkfY\i%@k`j]i\\kfFo]fi[ ^iX[lXk\jXe[]i`\e[jf]k_\Le`m\ij`kp%@k`jXcjfXmX`cXYc\fejlYjZi`gk`fe%=fi ]lik_\i`e]fidXk`feXe[kfjlYjZi`Y\#ZfekXZkAXe\k8m`jfej\\[\kX`cjXYfm\ % K_\:_XeZ\ccfi#DXjk\ijXe[JZ_fcXijf]k_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[% K_\fg`e`fej\ogi\jj\[`eFo]fi[Kf[XpXi\k_fj\f]k_\Zfeki`Ylkfij#Xe[ Welcome Xi\efke\Z\jjXi`cpj_Xi\[Ypk_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[%8[m\ik`j\d\ekjXi\ ZXi\]lccpm\kk\[#Ylkk_\Le`m\ij`kpZXekXb\efi\jgfej`Y`c`kp]fik_\d% The future of the world and EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: 8cle8e[\ijfe# 8lk_fiXe[aflieXc`jk a University under attack 8ee\9ilee\i$<cc`j# ?\X[f]GlYc`ZXk`fejXe[N\YF]ÔZ\#Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[ Gif]\jjfi;Xm`[:cXip# The past few months have seen the University attacked by the ruling Gi\j`[\ek#DX^[Xc\e:fcc\^\#Fo]fi[ coalition. In one instance, concerning the admission of black students, D`Z_\cc\;`Zbjfe# ;`i\ZkfiXe[:_`\]<o\Zlk`m\#Fo]fi[GcXp_flj\ the Prime Minister got his facts badly wrong. On another occasion, BXk`\>iXp# 9fXi[d\dY\i#Fo]fi[Le`m\ij`kpJfZ`\kp a minister suggested that extra places at UK universities might be paid A\i\dp?Xii`j# for in cash. Both instances appear to target Oxford’s recruitment of ;`i\Zkfif]GlYc`Z8]]X`ij#Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[ 8cXeAl[[# students solely on the basis of merit. The University needs to stand firm 8lk_fiXe[aflieXc`jk on this matter. It cannot be expected to mend inequalities that are ;iI`Z_Xi[Cf]k_flj\# <[`kfi#Fo]fi[Kf[Xp deeply rooted in society. Equally, however, its long commitment to ;iGXlcE\ndXe I\X[\i`e<e^`e\\i`e^JZ`\eZ\#=\ccfnf]E\n:fcc\^\#Fo]fi[ meritocracy has already led the way to a wonderfully diverse, richly AfXeeXGi\jkfe# globalised student body. Without these students, and an equally diverse 8Zk`e^?\X[f]:fddle`ZXk`fej#Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[8clde`F]ÔZ\ Jk\g_\eKXcc body of faculty, Oxford would be hard-pressed to play its leadership role 8jjfZ`Xk\;`i\ZkfiJlggfik\i<e^X^\d\ek #Fo]fi[Le`m\ij`kp ;\m\cfgd\ekF]ÔZ\ in our increasingly complex and globalised world. ;iN`cc`XdN_pk\# This issue’s cover story examines the meaning of that world, with C\Zkli\i`e?`jkfip#=\ccfnf]JkAf_eËj:fcc\^\#Fo]fi[ DXkk_\nN`cc`Xdj# a no-holds-barred analysis by Dr James Martin – Oxonian, computer :i\Xk`m\;`i\Zkfi#=lkli\Gclj expert, educator and benefactor. His essay chimes with the Alumni PUBLISHER: Fo]fi[Kf[Xp`jglYc`j_\[feY\_Xc]f]k_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[Yp Weekend on 16–18 September, Meeting Minds – 21st Century Challenges. =lkli\Gclj#X[`m`j`fef]=lkli\GlYc`j_`e^C`d`k\[ZfdgXepef)''///, # Among other features, ranging from Sir Andrew Motion’s protest at n_fj\i\^`jk\i\[f]]`Z\`jXk9\Xl]fik:flik#*'Dfedflk_Jki\\k# 9Xk_98()9N%K\c1'()),++))++%nnn%]lkli\gclj%Zf%lb library closures to PG Wodehouse’s impact on the English language, do AXpe\:Xgc\#;`i\Zkfi#=lkli\GcljLB :Xjj`\N_`kk\cc#Fg\iXk`fej;`i\Zkfi look at the amazing photographs that form the winning entries of Trees! :cXi\Afe`b#8ZZflek;`i\Zkfi K`d9fm`j#Gif[lZk`fe:f$fi[`eXkfi (p15) and consider our fabulous wine offer on page 43, an excellent deal DXkk<^c`ekfe#Gif[lZk`feGifZli\d\ekDXeX^\i with a charitable component. Finally, you can now read OT on the iPad 8cc`e]fidXk`feZfekX`e\[`ek_`jdX^Xq`e\`j]fi`e]fidXk`feXcgligfj\jfecpXe[`j# kfk_\Y\jkf]flibefnc\[^\#Zfii\ZkXkk_\k`d\f]^f`e^kfgi\jj%E\`k_\i=lkli\ (below). We welcome reader feedback on this move. GlYc`j_`e^C`d`k\[efik_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[XZZ\gkjXepi\jgfej`Y`c`kp]fi \iifijfi`eXZZliXZ`\jk_XkfZZli`ejlZ_`e]fidXk`fe%@]pfljlYd`kdXk\i`Xckfk_`j dX^Xq`e\#pflXlkfdXk`ZXccp^iXek=lkli\GlYc`j_`e^C`d`k\[Xe[k_\Le`m\ij`kp f]Fo]fi[Xc`Z\eZ\kfglYc`j_pflijlYd`jj`fej`en_fc\fi`egXik`eXep\[`k`fe EDITOR: Richard Lofthouse f]k_`jdX^Xq`e\Xe[pfl^iXekk_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[Xc`Z\eZ\kfglYc`j_pfli jlYd`jj`fej`en_fc\fi`egXik`eXep]fidXkfid\[`Xk_ifl^_flkk_\nfic[% 8epdXk\i`XcpfljlYd`k`jj\ekXkpflii`jbXe[e\`k_\i=lkli\GlYc`j_`e^C`d`k\[ efik_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[efik_\`ii\jg\Zk`m\\dgcfp\\j#X^\ekjfi jlYZfekiXZkfijj_XccY\c`XYc\]fiXepcfjjfi[XdX^\%EfgXikf]k_`jdX^Xq`e\dXp Y\lj\[fii\gif[lZ\[n`k_flkk_\ni`kk\eg\id`jj`fef]=lkli\GlYc`j_`e^C`d`k\[ NEW! Oxford Today now on the iPad. Link to the App store at Xe[k_\Le`m\ij`kpf]Fo]fi[%Gi`ek\[Yp?\X[c\p9ifk_\ij#8j_]fi[#B\ek% www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk K_\k\okgXg\i`ek_`jdX^Xq`e\`jZ_cfi`e\ ]i\\%K_\gXg\idXel]XZkli\iXe[=lkli\ For your chance to win an iPad 2, complete our reader survey at GlYc`j_`e^_Xm\Y\\e`e[\g\e[\ekcp Z\ik`Ô\[`eXZZfi[XeZ\n`k_k_\ilc\jf] www.surveymonkey.com/s/oxfordtodaytrinity k_\=fi\jkJk\nXi[j_`g:fleZ`c% www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk | [email protected] | twitter.com/oxfordalumni MY OXFORD Stephanie OXFORD Cook Trinity Term K_\Fcpdg`Z 2011 g\ekXk_cfe^fc[ d\[Xcc`jki\ZXccj ]fe[d\dfi`\j TODAY f]_\i[XpjXjX In this issue… C`eZfcejZ_fcXi 50 Oxonian 6 Letters 8 University news 10 New heads of house 13 S cience findings J E 14 New appointments J<JJ@F 9P 15 Photography competition F E#A F 17 Alumni news O @ EE @ M 18 Student spotlight < #B <J 20 Oxonians at large > ; 9AL F Features #I @J I9 F 22 For art’s sake &: Professor Andrew Motion and Philip M@@ M& @ 26 Pullman assess the future of the arts 8M ? E F 22 26 T urbulence ahead EK#I @ Futurologist James Martin and his C = ? foreboding views on climate change 8EE8 ? 32 Facebook revolutions? Social media: a force for good? 9I8IP# @ 35 Burne-Jones’ pursuit of love D8E8IKC < > The life, loves and laments of the painter @; 35 9I 38 PG Wodehouse How one man transformed the way TRINITY HIGHLIGHTS we speak the English language Arts & Ideas 41 Book reviews Ten new books for your reflection 43 Reader wine offer 18 32 38 45 Poetry Couture on Social media, Words of 46 Events the catwalk social chaos? Wodehouse 47 Obituaries @kËj^c`kqXe[^cXdfli ?fnjfZ`Xcd\[`XkffcjXi\ JlYliYXen`kk`Z`jdjkf 50 My Oxford Xkk_\Yi\Xk_kXb`e^ÔeXc\ Zi\Xk`e^Xe\nXe[gfn\i]lc dXibk_\i\cXleZ_f]k_\ f]Fo]fi[=Xj_`feN\\b ]XZ\f]i\mfclk`fe e\nF<;fec`e\ www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk | [email protected] | twitter.com/oxfordalumni We welcome letters for publication, which can be sent either by post or by email. We reserve the right to edit them to meet space constraints; the best way to avoid this is to keep letters to 200 Letters or fewer words. Unless you request otherwise, Your correspondence letters may also appear on our website. Brave new world? I have been following the debate over In response to… post-secondary education funding in the UK, and in particular, the Oxford defence of the undergraduate tutorial OT 23.1: ‘First among equals’ system. My experience of the Oxford tutorial system was nothing special. Gfc`k`ZXcXkkXZbXe[g\ijfeXckflZ_%%% I was never intellectually stretched, rarely challenged. I had to work much @]fle[k_\m\ip`e]fidXk`m\ gX`e]lccp`ife`Z`ek_\Zfek\okf] :fe^iXklcXk`fejfepfli harder, and in a more focused way, Xik`Zc\XYflkFo]fi[gi`d\ k_\\]]\Zk`m\gi`mXk`jXk`fef] j\c\Zk`fef]c\kk\ij`ek_\?`cXip once I arrived in Canada as a young d`e`jk\ijÊ=`ijkXdfe^\hlXcjË _`^_\i\[lZXk`fe%K_ifl^_k_\ \[`k`fe#XYflkk_\:Xd\ife graduate student. During my academic `eFK)*%(dfjk`ek\i\jk`e^Xe[ Iljj\cc>iflg#Fo]fi[cfYY`\[ g_fkf^iXg_`ek_\gi\m`fljk\id% career – at a severely under-endowed m\ipXggifgi`Xk\cpkfg`ZXc% _Xi[]fiXe`eZi\Xj\`ekl`k`fe :fe^iXklcXk`fejXcjfkfk_\Gi`d\ provincial Canadian university – I K_\i\jlck`e^c\kk\ijpfl ]\\j%E\`k_\ik_\>iflgefi D`e`jk\ifeY\Zfd`e^`emfcm\[ taught through lectures and seminars, glYc`j_\[#i\cXk`e^dX`ecp Fo]fi[`kj\c]_XjiX`j\[Xjkife^ `eXefk_\inXi#jf\Xicp`e_`j with an office door that was always kf;Xm`[:Xd\ife#Z\ikX`ecp mf`Z\kfgifk\ZkglYc`Z_`^_\i c\X[\ij_`g#k_ljgifm`e^_`j open.