Lecture Championing the Humanities

Lecture Championing the Humanities

A public lecture will explore the challenges facing Humanities in the modern world.

Dr Robin Jackson, Chief Executive of the British Academy, will deliver the lecture “Messy, debatable and unquantifiable: Championing the Humanities” at the University of Auckland on Wednesday 10 September.

“I'll be suggesting that at a time of scarce resources and expectations of a return on public funding, and when governments look favourably on science and technology, there are challenges for the humanities to demonstrate their public value.

“I'll be reviewing various approaches to making the case developed in the USA and UK - and I am interested to learn how things look here in New Zealand,” says Dr Jackson.

Dr Jackson has been Chief Executive and Secretary of the British Academy since September 2006, an independent national academy of Fellows elected for their eminence in research and publication. It is the UK's expert body that supports and speaks for the humanities and social sciences. Their mission is to inspire, recognise and support high achievement in the humanities and social sciences throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.

Dr Jackson studied classics at Oxford and has a PhD in ancient philosophy from Princeton University. He taught in the USA and for many years in Australia, where he was Seymour Reader in Ancient History and Philosophy at Ormond College, and Senior Lecturer in Classics, at the University of Melbourne.

His publications include Olympiodorus: Commentary on Plato's Gorgias ((co-authored) Brill, 1998), and various policy reports on research and related topics.
Before joining the Academy, Dr Jackson was Acting Director of Corporate Resources and Regional Consultant for London at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

He was previously Policy Adviser (Research and Knowledge Transfer) at Universities UK, and Assistant Director (Quality Development) at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. He was awarded a CBE in the 2014 January Honours.
Dr Jackson is also speaking at the Being Human, A Festival of Humanities, conference being held on 15-23 November 2014 at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

Dr Jackson’s “Championing the Humanities” is at 5.30pm, Wednesday 10 September, Library Theatre B15, Alfred Street, University of Auckland.

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