Sir Emyr should now consider his position
IT was with a sense of deep unease that I read Sir Emyr Jones Parry’s valedictory reflections on his tenyear tenure (2007-2017) of the prestigious yet unremunerated roles of Chancellor and chairman of council at Aberystwyth University (WM2, p4, December 28) on the same day the Cambrian News was reporting further job cuts at the university.
During his tenure and that of the Vice Chancellor April McMahon (2011-2016) who was appointed on Sir Emyr’s watch, the ratings of Aberystwth University plummeted from 47th position out of 115 highereducation institutions in 2011, down to 87th out of 129 in 2017 before recovering somewhat to 68th out of 129 in 2018 as recorded in the Complete University Guide.
Early in 2014 I was astounded to receive reports from my family in Mauritius that an Aberystwyth campus was to open on the island. Almost, it seems, by accident BBC Wales has learnt that this egregious misadventure is to close after two years of operation at a cost in excess of £600,000.
Thus one of the three matters in the public domain that damage the reputation of higher education in Wales is on the way to being resolved. But it is painful to contemplate how this now wasted money could have been put to good use in strengthening the teaching and research at Aber.
Between 2004 and 2007 I was privileged to serve as external examiner to the physics department. I found an extremely hard-working department facing ever-increasing challenges but nevertheless inspired by that unique academically led tradition and heritage of Aberystwyth University.
I feel strongly that my physics colleagues, in particular the late Dr Tudor Jenkins and Aber’s tradition and heritage, have been traduced in the years 2007- 2017. The new leadership now has to take some more hard decisions, but there are signs once more that the tradition and heritage will come to the fore again to meet the even greater challenges that lie ahead.
During the period of Sir Emyr’s oversight, Aber’s performance has been far from the declared aspirations of the Learned Society
of Wales, namely to celebrate, recognise, protect and encourage excellence in all scholarly disciplines. Sir Emyr should now consider his position as president of this society so as to show that the establishment in Wales has some sense of accountability. Prof Tegid Wyn Jones Physics and Astronomy, UCL