This webinar presentation will highlight Birkbeck’s history and its importance to working Londoners in its near 200 year history. The history is important to understand in the context of more contemporary policy challenges such as how the London workforce can be reskilled after the covid pandemic, the emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and London’s post Brexit future. Professor Latchman will go on to give an overview of specific measures currently being considered by the UK Government such as the Augar Review of Post 18 Education, the Skills and Post 16 Bill, and ‘Levelling Up’ and what all of this means for employees and businesses in London.
Speaker:
Professor David Latchman has been Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck since 2003. His advocacy for lifelong learning has resulted in further funding for part-time students and the universities that serve them. These include fee and maintenance loans being made available to part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students and the raising of eligibility for such assistance to 60 years of age– a raise of 30 years on the previous upper age limit.
During his time at Birkbeck, he has overseen significant development of the College’s estate including the research facility of the Wohl Wolfson Toddler Lab and enhanced teaching facilities at 373 Euston Road. The most recent acquisition is the former University of London owned Student Central Building. This is scheduled to re-open in 2024 and will result in the further enhancement of existing teaching, learning and student social space.
Birkbeck has continually been rated highly in successive government research and teaching assessment exercises and there has been a significant increase in income from philanthropic sources.
Professor Latchman has published extensively in the field of Genetics and Molecular Biology and also has significant experience of the commercial exploitation of intellectual property, having obtained Venture Capital funding to found a Company (BioVex Ltd) on the basis of patents developed by his laboratory in the area of gene therapy. The Company was subsequently acquired by Amgen Ltd and its viral vector is now used in an approved treatment for patients with melanoma.
Professor Latchman was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010 for his services to Higher Education.
Date
Monday, 13 December 2021
Time
15:00 - 15:45 GMT
Cost
Free
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