Professor Andy Schofield has today officially assumed the role of Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, becoming the 51st Principal. This follows a four-week handover period with former Principal Sir Anton Muscatelli.
Professor Schofield studied Natural Sciences, and went on to do a PhD at the University of Cambridge. In 2002, he became Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Birmingham before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Following this, he was appointed Vice Chancellor at Lancaster University.
Hillhead Review spoke to several of Schofield’s professional acquaintances at Lancaster University, who display differing opinions of the new Principal. Trade Union representatives were unhappy with his handling of a financial crisis, which caused redundancies. However, many colleagues pointed to Lancaster’s numerous education awards, and Schofield’s bold emphasis on climate action.
His Principalship comes at a difficult time for the University. It was revealed yesterday that a former student Ethan Brown took his own life over a grading error, which prevented him from graduating with an honours degree. Financial pressures also continue to loom over higher education across Scotland.
Sir Anton Muscatelli served in the Principal role for a total of 16 years. His colourful career can be defined by increased commercialisation of the University, several global financial crises, Brexit, the pandemic, and more.
In an interview with the BBC last week, Muscatelli called for a “major review” of Scottish higher education. He stated his concerns on the funding of higher education, and suggested universities needed to make changes in the courses they teach.
Via the University’s official Instagram page, Muscatelli said, “Over the last 16 years, it’s really been the greatest privilege I’ve ever had to be given the opportunity to lead this remarkable institution.”
Leave a Reply