Professor in pursuit of excellence

YOU don't have to be a professor of materials science to know that York University is a success story - and one with plenty of building blocks available to further enhance its international reputation for academic success and it's regional standing as a major player in the information industry.

Brian Cantor clearly recognises that. Why else would he have given up his prestigious position as Cookson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford to take over from Ron Cooke as York's new Vice Chancellor?

What quickly becomes clear is that he's as much diplomat as academic. The competition between the two universities remains fierce, with York beating Oxford and every other university in the UK in terms of the quality of its teaching. Mr Cantor is obviously aware of the sensitivities.

"You have to come to a good place if you are leaving Oxford," he says. "And I am confident that I am doing so."

At Oxford, as well as holding the Cookson professorship, he was a professorial fellow at St Catherine's College and founding head of the Division of Mathematical Sciences.

His area of personal academic expertise centres on understanding the fundamental physical and chemical science behind the manufacture of materials used in engineering. During a glittering career he has contributed to improvements in the manufacture of everything from car brakes to coatings for aeroplane engines.

Heavy stuff, and you can probably guess it isn't a pile of well-thumbed Harry Potter books heaped on his Heslington Hall office desk and that we didn't get around to discussing York City's defeat at the hands of Oxford United at the end of last month.

Instead, I walk away with a notebook full of cautious, reasonable and balanced comment from a man who has left behind a job managing a £75 million pound business, with eight departments, 1,300 staff and 4,000 students to take over what many now see as the engine room of York's economic future.

Almost a month into his new job, consultation, consultation, consultation is the name of Prof Cantor's game.

The 53-year-old has launched a wide-ranging consultation exercise to determine just what is needed to steer the university further into the 21 century and to capitalise on its success story.

The university is an immensely complicated beast and becoming familiar with all of its departments, business spin-offs and research connections is a full-time job in itself, while creating a clear-sighted vision for the future, and communicating that strategy, is going to need a firm hand.

Department workers have been asked to report on their situation, detailing the resources they may need and priorities for the next ten years. Many are reaching what Prof Cantor terms "critical mass" at the increasingly crowded Heslington campus.

But he does not favour growth for growth's sake. "We will not pursue growth in it's own right - we will only pursue excellence," he insists. There may be plenty of green fields to the east of the university campus but exploring their potential will have to wait. There is still "inherent growth" left in the system, he says.

When and if a time does come for expansion, nearby residents will be consulted on any plans, he adds. "It would be coy and unfair to do things in a piecemeal way. We need to flag up development in ten-year, long-term growth."

One accusation made against Oxford is that, along with Cambridge, it is elitist. The more universities like York strive for and achieve academic success, the more they open themselves up to similar claims.

York is a university which offers traditional courses. Even with the forthcoming medical school, isn't it in danger of remaining a white, middle-class centre for learning?

The university, says Prof Cantor, will continue to widen participation and encourage students from all backgrounds, regions and countries to find a place in it's colourful life.

He supports a Government policy to make education available to all - but points out that York remains a single campus university and is best building on its strengths. "York cannot be everything to everyone - it starts from being a certain kind of university," he says.

And what about top-up fees, which could see some students on particular courses paying thousands of pounds more per year?

"We are not one of the universities discussing top-up fees or even giving covert support to them," he says. "Let's see what the Government actually does end up putting forward. But I want to see what is being proposed before giving a detailed response."

More wait and see from the material man who has taken over at the top of York's academic tree.

Updated: 12:32 Wednesday, October 30, 2002