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INTRODUCTION
In late 2004 a New Zealander, John Hood, will become the first external appointment to head Oxford University in its 900-year history. Napier-born and raised, Dr Hood studied engineering at Auckland University where he took his doctorate in 1976. He then took up a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, where he added an MPhil in management and played cricket for the University. These two universities continue to command a special place in his affections. A 19-year career in industry with Fletcher Challenge at the time New Zealand's largest corporation took him to senior group responsibilities as CEO of Fletcher Challenge Paper. In 1999, he took on his present role as Vice Chancellor of Auckland University. His record there of innovative and dynamic leadership has surely been instrumental in attracting the attention of his other alma mater, and in attracting him back to Oxford.
With two papers in this issue addressing the distinctive challenges of positioning the university and its programmes (the MBA) in contemporary society, I thought that John Hood would be the ideal person to provide a practitioner's perspective on the role and management of the modern university. I thank him for the time he devoted to the interview, conducted in November 2003. What follows is an edited record of our conversation. I have used the convention of square brackets [] to interpose the occasional expansion in Dr Hood's text.
THE ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY
Ed. There was a period of huge success for universities, post-world-war, inspired perhaps by the success of science and the technologies that won the war. There was a period of about 20-30 years afterwards when universities were seen as the driver of all sorts of benefits to society. It seems to me we have lost that position, as evidenced by reducing financial support from the state. Where do we go now? What is the future for universities?
JH Oh, I think the future is very bright. I think most western societies understand the primary importance of research universities, and other institutions of tertiary training, to the economic, social and cultural well being of their societies. There will however always be an inherent set of conflicts and tensions around the best way to fund these institutions.
I do think that...