Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor speaks of “awe of people trained in the humanities” in inaugural address
Professor Irene Tracey was formally admitted as the 273rd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford at a ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre on Tuesday 10 January.
Professor Tracey, who is also Professor of Anaesthetic Neuroscience in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, gave an inaugural address at the ceremony which included a thoughtful articulation of the value of the humanities.
Professor Tracey said: “As is the case for many a scientist, I have always been in awe of people trained in the humanities, appreciating in my personal life the rewards, joys and sense of purpose and understanding the humanities bring to our lives and world. Robert Wilson knew to reach out to the humanities in his famous line in defence of the Fermilab particle accelerator: ‘it has to do with: Are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? … In that sense, this new knowledge has … nothing to do directly with defending our country – or, I might add these days, our planet – except to make it worth defending.’”
Professor Tracey also addressed a proposal by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that maths should be compulsory in schools until the age of 18. “I would go further,” she said. “In this country we deskill our schoolchildren too early with the great ‘divide’ at 16 between science and humanities; in an increasingly data-driven world, all our students need competence and above all confidence in dealing with data. But the same goes for scientists dropping humanities too early – while too many of our humanities students can be bewildered by a simple graph, too many of our scientists are bewildered by clever rhetoric, or simply unaware of the historical context of decisions. So, Mr Sunak: the next generation needs to understand maths, but it also needs to understand itself.”
Professor Tracey grew up in Oxford and described herself as a “local girl”. She outlined one of her priorities as engaging with the local community in Oxford, saying: “I firmly believe that universities need to play a more active and local role in teaching people how to learn.” The planned Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is a shining example of how the University will improve its engagement with the community in Oxford as it will be open to the public and invite them in. Professor Tracey said of the Centre: “With its 500-person concert hall and spaces for members of our great city to enjoy, it will be a truly stunning and transformational development for the University and the city.”
The full speech can be read on the University website, along with Professor Tracey's biography.
Photograph by Cyrus Mower
