New Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council appointed
Sir Drummond Bone has been appointed as the new Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts today (14 February 2014) announced the appointment of Sir Drummond Bone as the new Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
David Willetts said:
I am delighted to welcome Sir Drummond Bone as Chair of the AHRC. His high level experience across a range of sectors make him well qualified to provide a strong contribution to the leadership and work of the AHRC. I wish him well in his new role.
Sir Drummond Bone said:
I look forward to becoming part of the AHRC and to have the chance to support the work of so many of my colleagues in Arts and Humanities, both in universities and partner institutions.
Sir Drummond’s appointment began on 11 February 2014. He succeeds Sir Alan Wilson who stepped down at the end of December 2013. The appointment is for 4 years.
Notes to editors
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This appointment has been made in accordance with the requirements of the ‘Code of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’. He will receive an honorarium of £16,340 pa.
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Sir Drummond Bone is currently Master of Balliol College, Oxford, Chair of the UK Libraries Research Reserve project and Chair of the iGraduate Group. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool from 2002 until 2008 and President of Universities UK from 2005 to 2007. His past non-executive positions include Chair of Liverpool Capital of Culture Company 2005 to 2007, Chair of the Liverpool-Shanghai Partnership 2006 to 2008 and Chair of the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) 2004 to 2008. The former AHRC Chair, Sir Alan Wilson, stepped down at the end of December.
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The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects: ancient history, modern dance, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, English literature, design, the creative and performing arts, and much more. This financial year (2013 to 2014) the AHRC will spend approximately £98 million to fund research and postgraduate training in collaboration with a number of partners. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.
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The government’s economic policy objective is to achieve ‘strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries’. It set 4 ambitions in the ‘Plan for Growth’, published at Budget 2011:
- to create the most competitive tax system in the G20
- to make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business
- to encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy
- to create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe
Work is underway across government to achieve these ambitions, including progress on more than 250 measures as part of the Growth Review. Developing an Industrial Strategy gives new impetus to this work by providing businesses, investors and the public with more clarity about the long-term direction in which the government wants the economy to travel.