Stewart Ross Sutherland
Stewart Ross Sutherland, Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Edinburgh
He was educated at Robert Gordon's College. In 1963 he graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a first-class MA in Philosophy, and received an MA Philosophy of Religion from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1965. He was then appointed assistant lecturer in Philosophy at the University College of North Wales, and three years later returned to Scotland as a lecturer at the University of Stirling. In Stirling, he established the Religious Studies department and recruited John Drane and the late Glyn Richards to work alongside him in this enterprise. Then in 1977, he became Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion at King's College London, and was subsequently appointed Vice-Principal and Principal there in 1981 and 1985 respectively.
Within the realm of academia, he has a distinguished service. After serving as Principal of King’s College London (1985–90) he became Vice-Chancellor of the University of London in 1990 and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools two years later. He succeeded this post as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University, in which position he served until 2002. He also served as Provost at Gresham College (2002-2008).
Lord Sutherland has made many contributions in the broader area of education, serving as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England (1992–94) and as honorary President of the Christian Education Movement in Scotland. In 1992, he was elected to the British Academy, and in 1995 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the same year he was knighted and became President in 2002. He has published studies on higher education and served as a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (1995–2001), which funds and promotes high-quality teaching and research in universities and colleges in England.
Following his involvement in the establishment of the Age Concern Institute of Gerontology at King's College London, he was invited by the incoming Blair government in 1997 to chair a Royal Commission on Long-Term Care of Older People. This recommended that government (including the NHS and local authorities) should be responsible for providing free care in the spirit of the NHS Act to all people even if their illness takes the form of a chronic mental frailty. His recommendations were taken up by the devolved Scottish government, though were never implemented for England and Wales.
He was educated at Robert Gordon's College. In 1963 he graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a first-class MA in Philosophy, and received an MA Philosophy of Religion from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1965. He was then appointed assistant lecturer in Philosophy at the University College of North Wales, and three years later returned to Scotland as a lecturer at the University of Stirling. In Stirling, he established the Religious Studies department and recruited John Drane and the late Glyn Richards to work alongside him in this enterprise. Then in 1977, he became Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion at King's College London, and was subsequently appointed Vice-Principal and Principal there in 1981 and 1985 respectively.
Within the realm of academia, he has a distinguished service. After serving as Principal of King’s College London (1985–90) he became Vice-Chancellor of the University of London in 1990 and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools two years later. He succeeded this post as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University, in which position he served until 2002. He also served as Provost at Gresham College (2002-2008).
Lord Sutherland has made many contributions in the broader area of education, serving as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England (1992–94) and as honorary President of the Christian Education Movement in Scotland. In 1992, he was elected to the British Academy, and in 1995 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the same year he was knighted and became President in 2002. He has published studies on higher education and served as a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (1995–2001), which funds and promotes high-quality teaching and research in universities and colleges in England.
Following his involvement in the establishment of the Age Concern Institute of Gerontology at King's College London, he was invited by the incoming Blair government in 1997 to chair a Royal Commission on Long-Term Care of Older People. This recommended that government (including the NHS and local authorities) should be responsible for providing free care in the spirit of the NHS Act to all people even if their illness takes the form of a chronic mental frailty. His recommendations were taken up by the devolved Scottish government, though were never implemented for England and Wales.