Nobel Prize winner in sexism furore to quit UK
THE Nobel Prize-winning scientist forced to resign after making lighthearted remarks about women is now planning to leave the country.
Sir Tim Hunt faced a storm of criticism after he suggested the problem with female scientists was that men ‘fall in love with them’.
He claimed women should have separate laboratories and that they cry when criticised – in comments meant as a joke.
But such was the vilification from feminist scientists and students, University College London contacted Sir Tim’s wife insisting he resign from his honorary post there or face the sack.
The father of two obliged and emailed in his resignation during the debacle in June.
Now Sir Tim, 72 – who won the Nobel Prize for breakthroughs in cancer research – is leaving Britain to live in Japan, according to friends.
He will accompany his wife, Mary Collins, who is to leave her own professorship at UCL to take up a job at a Japanese University with a five-year tenure.
The couple are said to be hoping to put the row behind them.
Confirming the move yesterday, Professor Collins told the Daily Mail: ‘This is a job I applied for before the Tim Hunt incident and is a very positive career move for me.’
But a friend of the couple, who live near Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, said the move would not be happening were it not for the witch-hunt that was triggered by the scientist’s comments. The friend, who did not wish to be named, said Sir Tim continued to be upset by the false accusations of sexism, adding: ‘It’s very sad, it’s quite clear it’s based on their exhaustion.
‘I’ve kept in touch with Tim over the past six months. They have been up and down, even quite recently. They have been emotionally affected by it. They have had a lot of criticism, he’s had invitations to talk at conferences withdrawn on the grounds he’s not a suitable person, or if he appeared it might produce a reaction, backlash or protest.’
The friend said the ‘paradox’ of the sexism row was the impact it has had on one of Britain’s most senior female scientists. ‘It’s resulted in a very eminent female senior scientist having to leave the country. It’s just craziness. I hope it puts some pressure on UCL.’
Sir Tim was speaking at a meeting of the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea, when he made the controversial comments. He said: ‘Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab. You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them, they cry.’
A lecturer in science journalism at City University in London, Connie St Louis, who attended the meeting, then posted an article mentioning his remarks on Twitter entitled ‘Why are the British so embarrassing abroad?’ This sparked the massive witch-hunt.
Mrs St Louis, a former BBC radio producer, said the event was ‘utterly ruined’ and asked: ‘Really, does this Nobel laureate think we are still in Victorian times?’ The Mail later revealed she had falsified parts of her online CV.
Sir Tim, who said he was ‘hung out to dry’ by UCL, also resigned from posts at the prestigious Royal Society and the European Research Council.
Many high-profile women in the field leapt to Sir Tim’s defence, denying claims he was sexist. Figures ranging from Richard Dawkins, Brian Cox, and Mary Beard to Boris Johnson also voiced support for the scientist – but UCL refused to reinstate him.
Jonathan Dimbleby quit his honorary UCL fellowship, accusing the university of a ‘disgraceful’ rush to judgement.
In a statement, UCL president and provost Michael Arthur said he regretted accepting Sir Tim’s resignation but that reversing the decision would send out ‘entirely the wrong signal’.
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