The University of Nottingham is to stage a major economic conference to mark the contribution of its vice chancellor, Sir Colin Campbell, who is stepping down after 20 years in the post.It has attracted a list of big names from around the world to discuss the global economy, among them trade minister Lord Digby Jones.
The day-long event, put together by his successor Prof David Greenaway, has been broken down into three topics - UK Higher Education in the Global Economy; Global Research and Business Links and International Networks and their role.
The speakers include academics such as London University vice-chancellor Sir Graeme Davies, Delhi University vice chancellor Prof Deepak Pental, the president of the University of Virginia Prof John Casteen and Nottingham's own chancellor Prof Yang Fugia.
Other speakers are former CBI director general Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham, The Telegraph's editor-at-large Jeff Randall, and Martin Wolf, who is the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times.
Lord Dearing, a former chancellor for seven years, will be a contributor to the "festschrift" - a gathering held by colleagues and admirers to honour a scholar and mark an event of importance in his or her life.
He praised Sir Colin as one of the great vice-chancellors of his generation who had vision and a skill in delivering the strategy.
He said: "I have a warm regard for Sir Colin for his contribution to the university and to British higher education.
"He is a very remarkable man, a man who doesn't waste words, a man who is listened to. He speaks with real knowledge, has immense ability and energy.
"Sir Colin has done very good things for the university putting it in the top division."
Lord Dearing said a number of features had marked out Sir Colin's vice-chancellorship.
These include the growth in the standing of the university in research and teaching and its influence on higher education.
Lord Dearing said the National College for School Leadership was an example of Sir Colin's enterprise.
"He was immediately proactive and secured it for the university against keen competition.
"He was enterprising in setting up the new Jubilee Campus with its high architectural standard. While maintaining the very fine historic campus, he set up a neighbouring campus."
Lord Dearing also praised Sir Colin's initiative in extending the university overseas, first setting up a campus in Malaysia and later Ningbo in China.
Lord Dearing said that his contribution to the festschrift will explore whether and to what extent higher education will become international both in the content of the curriculum for various subjects and through direct involvement overseas.
He said: "The university was very early in setting up a campus overseas in Malaysia and in China.
"I thought it was an indication of the seriousness about the university's commitment to development overseas that my successor was Prof Yang Fujia, a distinguished academic from China.
"Other countries like Australia have been interested in this but Sir Colin has been pre-eminent in the UK in commitment and success. It isn't easy.
"Increasingly, the interest of our students is to have a grounding not only in their chosen discipline but also a broader understanding of the wider world."
"Just as industry has become globalised, so our careers are increasingly multi-national, especially for people of ability. Those who come to universities such as Nottingham are in that category."
He said his thinking could be achieved through the content of university curriculum and by recognising a very large number of overseas students in the UK with whom indigenous students can have a rich contact.
They should be encouraged to engage proactively, he added.
He used as an example the tens of thousands of Muslims attending British universities who have a different cultural background but can contribute to education.
Students could also be encouraged by having an oversea experience by spending a term or a year overseas.
"I believe Sir Colin saw this early," said Lord Dearing.
The future chancellor first met Sir Colin Campbell in the early 1990s.
"He stood out as somebody I respected and listened to. He is a man of ideas. He doesn't waste words and they are good words," said Lord Dearing.
"Colin is a builder, a change maker. He is outstanding, a man of standing, a man of substance.
"He won't take something on unless it will make a contribution that matters. He had ways into Number Ten. He is that kind of person."
Source: Nottingham Evening Post
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