Nick Rawlins talking to students at University College, Oxford
Nick Rawlins became Oxford
University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor
for Development and External
Affairs in June 2010. His
academic research has been based
in experimental psychology, but
it is his role as an educator which
best complements our theme of
nurturing divergent thinkers.
Nick Rawlins has spent much of his professional
career nurturing divergent thinkers. His academic
abode is Oxford, though he also worked in labs
at Johns Hopkins and Oslo University. Captivated
by the tutorial system as an undergraduate, Nick
followed his undergraduate degree with a Junior
Research Fellowship – starting his role at the same
time as fellow University College peer Bill Clinton
who became Governor of Arkansas. He was made
a full tutorial fellow in 1983.
Nick claims that the essence of the tutorial system
is to find weaknesses in arguments. The system, he
says, expects student to produce ideas, ‘follow their
noses’, and assess where their thoughts lead them.
The value of the system is that it inspires students to
think for themselves. If Oxford dons wanted simply
to transfer knowledge from textbook to recipient
undergraduate mind, they might just as well lecture
via video link.
It is through tutorials, where senior professors can
spend time in discussion with their students, that
32 The Wykeham Journal 2017