Interview with Sir Paul Grice
I
N OCTOBER, SIR PAUL GRICE
took up the role of Principal and
Vice-Chancellor at QMU. Sir Paul has
an outstanding record in governance
and leadership at a national level. Before
joining QMU, he held the position of
Clerk and Chief Executive at the Scottish
Parliament. Having been involved in the
constitutional group with responsibility
for the referendum on establishing the
Scottish Parliament, he went on to
manage the Scotland Act which laid the
foundation for the new constitutional
framework. And he was the first person
to speak in the Scottish Parliament,
declaring it officially open.
But Sir Paul is not new to higher
education. He has a deep understanding
of the sector and its challenges, with
fellowships and board memberships
at a number of prestigious academic
institutions. He was knighted in the New
Year Honours List 2016 for services to the
Scottish Parliament and voluntary services
to higher education and the community in
Scotland.
We have asked him some of the questions
that we think you might like put to him.
What attracted you to the role of
Principal at QMU?
Having worked in public service
throughout my career, I have found
myself increasingly drawn towards higher
education. Not only are universities a
hugely important part of civic society
- as educators, knowledge creators,
and engines of economic and social
development - they also build policy
and practice. That combined impact is
incredibly powerful.
More, I am excited by the opportunity
to lead a university that excels in areas
that mean a great deal to me personally,
including health and culture. I’m fascinated
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QMYOU / Principal's Interview
by QMU’s work in food and drink and in
business, and I can see the fantastic
opportunities arising from teacher
education.
Also important to me is QMU’s
particular focus on social justice:
widening participation, sustaining people
in education, promoting employability,
providing employment and influencing
society for the good – all these are aspects
of social justice and things that QMU does
particularly well.
How do you feel your career so far
prepares you for your role at QMU?
There are definite similarities between
my last role and that at QMU. The most
obvious of these is the privilege and
responsibility of leadership. Both my
previous and new roles are people focused.
They are both about bringing out the best
in creative, highly intelligent and committed
groups of people. That’s something I really
enjoy.
I recognise that my new role will represent
a learning curve for me. That said, I am
lucky to have benefitted from a number of
opportunities to work in higher education
governance. Beginning with a role on the
Court of the University of Stirling, my higher
education roles have included membership
of the Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC), board membership
of Policy Scotland at the University of
Glasgow, and fellowships at the Royal
Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and at a centre
of the University of Cambridge. I look
forward to translating my learnings from
these governance roles into operational
leadership.
And I believe that my role in the
Parliament - at the heart of public
life - means that I have a particular
understanding of the contribution that
universities can make to society. I hope
to bring to QMU new connections and a
broad frame of reference in terms of the
context in which we operate.
How has higher education touched you
personally?
Growing up in York, I didn’t do
exceptionally well at school - my own
fault entirely! I developed a taste for
learning while studying for a Diploma in
Building and Construction at my local
further education college (perhaps a
rather unusual stepping stone on the
path to university leadership). Then the
University of Stirling took a chance on
me and my non-traditional qualifications. I
graduated in economics and environmental
science, having had a fabulous time both
academically and socially.
Much later, Stirling invited me back to
join their Court. I was delighted to give
back to the organisation which had given
me such wonderful life opportunities. The
role on the Court at Stirling led on to many
other chances to work in higher education
governance and ultimately to my decision
to apply for the role of Principal at QMU.
What are your thoughts on the
transformative power of higher
education?
Higher education transforms individual
lives and it transforms society. I am just
one example of someone whose life
opportunities have been transformed
through their experience of university.
At societal level, universities transform
economies, the way people think and the
way society acts. As a smaller institution,
QMU is in a great position to respond to
changes in society as we should be able
to respond faster than a larger institution.
My work with Policy Scotland and the
ESRC has reinforced my sense of the
importance of universities in pushing the