Updated 5/1/2020: I've reverted most of this to draft status as I ponder further...
In recent decades the public-facing role of university museums has greatly increased. Expectations are for this to keep growing. At the same time, as part of the university, they have certain obligations; they need to fulfil the purpose of such an institution and to respect the wishes of founders and donors. So in this follow-up post to my vision for the History of Science Museum in Oxford, I wish to reflect on what role a university museum might have with respect to members of the public and systems of belief, and how it might continue to develop and flourish whilst being true to its roots. As before, they’re just my personal views, not necessarily those of the Museum or the University.
The early stages of Oxford’s medieval formation were characterised by universitas, a Latin term used for a gathering or community of scholars in higher education, who were training in holy orders, for the religious life. The word is properly contextualised in the phrase, universitas magistrorum et scholarium, and connotes the whole, or entire. This holistic approach to learning has been a core foundation sustaining the academic institution for some 800 years.
At the heart of its operation is communitas, another Latin word, which may be defined [from etymonline's entry for 'community'] as "community, society, fellowship, friendly intercourse; courtesy, condescension, affability," a deep sense of collegiality, a community in spirit, not just in form. These general principles foster an ethos, which is more than any of the individual terms. The word commonly used today is ’community’, but it tends to be materialised with reference to a particular group, where the inevitable question is, ”Which community?” followed by “What about that community?”...
I took the opportunity to spend a few extra days revisiting the city where I had been a postgrad between 1990 and 1992.
I arrived back in Glasgow on Sunday evening. At Glasgow Central station I bought a weekly Zonecard before proceeding on my way, anticipating quite a lot of travel around the city, reasoning that it should be more convenient than repeatedly buying tickets and I might save some money. Then I towed my luggage along St Vincent Street and Arygll Street to reach the Sandyford Hotel in Sauchiehall Street, where I had booked 5 nights’ accommodation.
A few minutes later under greyish skies, but dry at least, I headed for the waterfront, which was easy to reach from the hotel, using the SECC tunnel walkway
There were many passersby wearing conference lanyards with a great diversity of ethnicity, so I stopped one of them to ask. He explained that they were attending a congress of the World Federation of H[a]emophilia. It seemed a very laudable gathering, but seeing the multitude I soon guessed that was probably why accommodation prices seemed elevated. Soon I emerged by the river and proceeded to cross towards the Prince’s Dock, where once mighty ships would berth, supported by an array of cranes, warehouses and railway yards.
Now this has faded away, with much of the waterway reclaimed (the BBC Scotland occupies some of this area). The area has been redeveloped, but some vestiges of the old practices remain, including the Clyde Puffer.
The next day, fuelled by a substantial cooked breakfast, I set out to explore at length, starting with Kelvingrove Park and then up to Gilmorehill, the location of the imposing Gilbert Scott Buildings, which form the central areas of the University of Glasgow.
A lady doing the polishing at the entrance to the Hunterian Museum explained that it was now quiet as the exams were over and the graduation ceremonies were yet to begin.
I then headed downhill to Church Street, but whereas the view used to be of the Western Infirmary, now I saw this:
(sunyata!)
It’s a huge development site for the University (similar to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter redevelopment in Oxford). Some ragged remnants still remain adjacent to the street:
I returned to the main campus via Byers Road and then continued down University Avenue to University Gardens, where I used to receive instruction at the Maths Department at no. 8 and study at no. 11. Now it looked like this:
(sunyata!!)
At least they hadn’t knocked down the villa, a listed building from the 1880s, where I used to share a sparsely furnished office with other Maths postgrads at George Service House (number 11).
Next door, no. 13, was Hetherington House, home of the Hetherington Research Club, the scene of a student protest in 2011 “against cuts to higher education within Glasgow University and nationwide” (the Hetherington Research Club was closed in 2010). It got widely reported, including BBC coverage and a Wikipedia article.
Seeing that the Maths Department building, a block constructed in the late ‘60s in the Brutalist style, had been demolished I quizzed a security person (I assume) who was standing nearby. He said it was knocked down at the beginning of the year and the completion of the new construction was planned for completiion in 2 years’ time. I expect few would mourn the loss of the old structure.
The flat I shared in Church Street was appropriately described by my flatmate as "a hovel”; cheap, but not so cheerful. So after a few months I moved again and finally found a generally comfortable and affordable place to live, still close to the Maths Department, in Hillhead Street. So on my return I carried on, using a shortcut that I still remembered by Queen Margaret’s Union, to get onto Hillhead Street. And memories started to return…
Miss Macaulay, the landlady, was retired. She had previously run a rest home there, which was apparently particularly popular with Americans. As part of my induction she pointed to the Macaulay clan’s crest with its motto, ‘Dulce periculum est’, which she obligingly translated — “Danger is sweet!”. However, whilst she was proud of her heritage, her tone was not menacing and I was offered two rooms at a generous rate.
I don’t recall having taken any photos, but it’s not so hard to find glimpses of the interior. A few months after I had moved a production company came to do some filming for The Bogieman, a BBC Scotland Comedy Drama from 1992 starring Robbie Coltraine, Midge Ure et al. Here we see the detective approaching the home
Most of the flat was need for the filming, i.e., the entrance hallway, the two front rooms and the kitchen at the back (where they kept all the turkeys). Apparently when it came to finding the right location they reviewed 8 properties and this one won hands down; I don’t think they needed to use so many props for beyond the red door at the entrance was a plentiful supply of tartan, chandeliers, stags heads and especially brass, frequently augmented at weekends by new acquisitions from The Barras.
The BBC wrote to us individually advising what was going to happen. They very kindly allowed me to come and go as I pleased during the filming and I could stay there overnight as my rooms were not used (this also helped them in that I could watch over their equipment). On one occasion as I was making my way through the hallway I bumped into Robbie Coltraine coming out of the front room. Seeing me he immediately remarked in an affected voice, “Don’t go into show business!” and then carried on his way.
Now revisiting, I could barely recognise the flat — gone were the tartan curtains, the front door had been repainted; there was little sign of the distinctive colour from the past. I tried to strike a conversation with a resident outside, but she didn’t want to know (and looked at me with suspicion). So it was soon time to move on, down the hill, past The Mackintosh House
It’s a fabulous museum, with a rich mixture of displays, some quite unexpected, particularly the multimedia object cinema, which I found quite immersive. However, I spent most of my time at ‘Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style Gallery’, a permanent display of work by members of the Glasgow School, particularly the Group of Four. Actually, there is also a special exhibition to celebrate 150 years of the birth of the leading light: Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Making the Glasgow Style. My only disappointment was not being able to see Dali’s Christ of St John on the Cross, which is currently on loan.
After coffee in the Centre Hall, I wandered along Argyll Street, past Kelvin Hall, where I remember watching international athletics. Its redevelopment is bringing together disparate Hunterian collections of the University. Its website includes a beta service with integrated online access to search the collections.
I had planned to explore Pollok Country Park on the south side, so it was on to the Underground, where the turnstile rejected my ticket first time I tried it and then again and again. The staff in the ticket office was watching on and gestured to hand over my card. He studied it and with furrowed brow concluded it was meant for buses. Not to worry as he could fix the problem if I waited 10 minutes. So I did and I continued on my way and emerged safely at St Enoch’s. But when I came to the platform where I was to catch the train for Barrhead, the turnstiles there rejected it also. “It’s the magnet”, explained the rail staff cheerily as he let me through. “Och well…”
Disembarking at Pollokshaws station, I headed for Pollok Country Park, passing by Pollokshaws Railway Viaduct, which spans White Cart Water. Built in 1847 and subject to a lot of rail traffic, it must need quite a lot of maintenance.
This scene somehow felt like a metaphor for working in an IT team.
A few yards along Pollok Avenue one finds Shawmuir Lodge, built in 1891, as the stone relief indicates (I guess):
The grounds are part of an estate that belonged for many centuries to the Maxwell family until it was handed over to the Glasgow Corporation with the condition that it remained a public park. The stately home is Pollok House, maintained by the National Trust of Scotland. It’s currently featuring a photography exhibition, Harry Benson: from Glasgow to America, which I found really impressive — he vividly captures many aspects of life with a perfect sense of timing. And lunch was very good too.
The park was delightful with many blooms and I felt no need to investigate the Burrell Collection, though it’s actually ‘temporarily closed’ for refurbishment (estimated until 2020).
I returned to the hotel greatly contented with what I had seen.
The following day I explored towards the east, aiming for St Mungo’s, Glasgow’s cathedral. I took a slight detour to see what was happening with the refurbishment of the Glasgow School of Art following the fire of 2014.
According to the information boards it will reopen in 2019 "as a base for all first year students from across all disciplines: architecture, design, fine art, innovation, simulation and visualisation". Using my map from 1990, I carried on, but lost my way when I hit Buchanan Galleries, a large shopping mall, but eventually I reached my destination and quickly made my way to the shrine of St Mungo. Similar to what happened in Oxford, the shrine gained special attention during the medieval period (in Oxford in the 12th Century, the relics of the patron saint, St Frideswide, were transferred to a special new shrine, and a miracle collection was authored by Prior Philip, detailing miraculous healings, on which I wrote an essay. This was formerly the Roman Catholic mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, but following the Scottish reformation it has been under the Church of Scotland.
I gazed at leisure from the cafe in the nearby Mungo Museum of Religious Art and Life.
I found the museum itself unassuming and quite a lot larger than expected; it seems to unfold, floor by floor. As it doesn’t overwhelm, it lends itself to measured absorption; one can linger on the displays. Its exhibitions are planned in interesting ways, particularly the one space where world religions were introduced in the centre and around it were the stages in life (and death), bringing together different perspectives from the various faiths. There are good education facilities for youngsters and It feels like there’s been good involvement from local communities. And they didn’t shy away from difficult topics such as mission and conversion - it included material on Billy Graham, including a photo of him preaching at Celtic Park in 1991. I went along to listen; he was certainly dedicated to his fath and charismatic, but I didn’t feel a calling to go to the front.
As I left the museum I took a closer look at the Zen garden, which was designed by Yasutaro Tanaka and entitled “Where We Are”. I don’t claim any background, but as I observed the grass growing around the edges, it struck me that it needed maintenance. The few gardens I have seen have all been very precisely arranged with not a stone out of place. Perhaps it needs some specialist maintenance?
Emerging, I continued towards the Necropolis, a bold statement of a Victorian cemetery, as though “from the other side”, about the city’s great and famous in the form of memorial stones. Looking back there were impressive views of the cathedral next to the Royal Infirmary:
Commanding a central position in the Necropolis and visible from afar is a tall column, a monument to John Knox, who was a leader of the country's Reformation.
Having meandered and tiptoed along, I descended and started my return, came across unexpectedly a touching work of street art: a Glasgow High Street mural, by Sam Bates, aka Smug. It seems very fitting and is said to relate to St Mungo.
I could have ridden on a bus with the Zonecard, but I felt roaming on foot was generally much more pleasant and kept going through Merchant City and onwards until I was back at the hotel. There was much to observe and entertain, but I felt a sense of loneliness, perhaps an echo of similar feelings I had experienced whilst living here.
The next two days were dedicated to the conference, which was packed with many informative sessions and conversations; I took hardly any photos.
Then I resumed my explorations on foot after the conference had closed, mainly along the River Clyde, taking snaps quite frequently.
The giant Finnieston Crane:
And an unexpected horizon that reflects the evolving nature of belief (religious and secular):
Then across the Clyde Arc:
past some rather dilapidated piers
The weather having improved since the beginning of the week offered nice views.
A lot of blocks sprung up in the centre:
And greater traffic loads to support.
It was a very pleasant strolling along at leisure. A nice way to end the tour of the city.
One place I didn’t get round to revisiting was Hillhead Underground station. This was where I bade farewell to my research supervisor, Prof. Robert (“Bob”) Odoni. Alas he passed away about 10 years later; he was highly regarded by colleagues. (I remember colleagues sharing their mathematical problems with him and a few days later he might go up to them and suggest: “Have you tried this …?”)
Since then Glasgow has undergone far-reaching development; although this dynamism had already started when it was European Cultural Capital in 1990, it feels more international now. However, as with many other cities, I heard about some aspects of modernisation, particularly student apartment blocks, which are changing the nature of some districts and, I suspect, the expectations of its inhabitants.
In between conference preparation, pilgrimage, visits and general sight-seeing, I was given a special tour of Chulalongkorn University, by Khun Tewee, a long-time family friend who used to play with my mother as a child. Both of them had studied at Chula - Khun Tewee physical sciences and my mother (then Fuengsin Sarayutpitag) liberal arts. On this occasion I wanted just to get a feel for the environment, and see how much it resembled the scene depicted in group photos from the late 50s (my mother is standing, 5th from the left):
Chulalongkorn University occupies a privileged position in Thai history and culture. Even its Thai wording claims the linguistic distinction of having the word ‘university’ following the name: จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย [Chulalongkorn Mahawitthayalai] so it reads in the same order as in English, whereas all other universities would put Mahawitthayalai before the name.
The University has its roots as a civil service training school, founded during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) at the end of the 19th Century CE to help in Siam’s administration. It gradually expanded its remit and so emerged Chulalongkorn University, formally granted its new name and status in 1917, the first university to be established in Thailand. It is located fairly centrally in Pathum Wan district of Bangkok, with the nearest BTS station being National Stadium and occupies a rectangular plot of land plus a number of surrounding buildings.
When Khun Tewee proceeded to showed myself and one of her friends the central site, she led us first of all towards the original entrance across playing fields. There looking out from a raised platform were the University's two founders commemorated in a memorial statue:
Seated is King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and standing beside him is King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). Whilst we were there, a couple of students were paying respects, lighting incense sticks. Nearby there were some elaborate floral kratongs, very likely student creations, now looking somewhat bereft after the Loy Kratong festival, but still nice and colourful.
Next we retraced some steps and approached some of the original buildings (or, at least, the oldest that are still standing). Particularly prominent is the main auditorium, where the conferral of degrees and other major ceremonies take place in a grand theatre:
We then carried on to the Faculty of Arts building, close by, and naturally I was keen to explore.
The first thing that struck my was the lightness of the building. By modern standards it doesn't have many floors, but as I wandered around, I could gaining a feeling of great solidity and substance, an imposing presence, with lofty spaces. It was a very distinguished environment and not hard to imagine students feeling like princes or princesses. Every angle seems to be pleasing architecturally, certainly worth protecting with the nagas!
The only disappointment was learning that these buildings are now used mainly for administration. So where do the Faculty of Arts students have their classes, if not in these buildings? Looking from the centre, there are new buildings dotted around:
The tall building in the distance is บรมราชกุมารี Borommarajakumari (Supreme Daughter of His Majesty the King), an epithet for HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who herself was a graduate from the Faculty of Arts in the 1970s (details in a biography). It is a multi-purpose building: as well as lecture spaces, there are exhibition areas and academic staff have rooms towards the top.
Inevitably a lot of change, but it seems to retain a distinguised ethos and it looks like the staff and students continue to build on the heritage. It still looks an attractive place to study.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the official founding of King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi - it was established originally on 4 Feburary 1960 as Thonburi Technology Institute (TTI). It's now a substantial research-led University building up an international profile.
I've been fortunate to get in touch with the University as my mother used to work there as a lecturer in English. She would refer to her former place of work as "Bangmot," which is the colloquial shorthand and was one of the first members of staff, joining around the time it was founded - I'm currently trying to establish exactly when. The following photo was taken in 1964, when there was (as far as I know) just this two storey building!
The developments are extraordinary, so congratulations to the university on its achievements! I think my mother would have been delighted to see its progress.
I had subsequently had lunch with veteran interfaith friends, Sandy and David, in Vaults & Garden, sitting outside (somewhat cool now summer has gone!) I gazed towards the Radcliffe Camera and had a new feeling of connection, which surprised me. It seems I had finally made contact with the University in a way I never had previously whilst serving many academics and students in IT services. Indeed, in the last 2-3 weeks like thousands of other students, I have been engrossed in various inductions and many other activities that really are new experiences, though some experiences are echoes of earlier days - especially conversations at dining room tables!
I've lived in Oxford for a little over 6 years, not very long, but several generations of ancestors on my father's side have been in the area - particularly in Horspath and Wendlebury - during the 17th and 18th Centuries. I've been fascinated to know how the University (and thence the city) of world-reknown emerged; reading almost any history, you find that the original seed was sown by Saint Frideswide. She was the one who established it's original foundations through a priory, and since then spirituality and Faith have given real life at the heart of the city of Oxford; the Colleges and Halls that later came to be known as the Collegiate University were established for religious purposes and have given birth to many movements. You can still find places of pilgrimage in and around Oxford to reflect on St. Frideswide - there are churches named after her, her tomb, and shrines where there's a statue, such as the Lady Chapel of St. Michael's at the North Gate.
However, nowadays, some would say that St. Frideswide and her vision are badly neglected, especially at the University. From my personal observation, the institution is fastidious in keeping the role of spirituality and Faith as an individual presonal matter, being at pains not to show a hint of apologetics itself; in my work at the University I communicate with Central Administration about multifaith and interfaith matters not directly through faith per se but through my being an 'ethnic minority'! It's a world away from previous centuries. Yet this curiosity might offer a way forward because 'ethnic minorities' represent great and populous nations, where spirituality and Faith are often taken much more to heart and treated with reverence and respect; today Oxford is home to people from many nations around the world and is thus naturally multi-faith.
Whatever the University's current official stance, there's considerable activity among and between faiths, but it's not easy to know what's going on, even for someone who has the time and wherewithall to tap into the various sources. So how to facilitate something to connect and support each other better? Here I'll just mention a few personal thoughts about this process, and try to write a few points about vision, what this is all this for.
To me Oxford should have a global vision with spirituality and faith right at the heart of it that is - as has been said so often - "locally rooted, globally connected." The sense of spirituality can be variously expressed. From my Buddhist perspective, lokuttara dhamma is a phrase in the ancient Pali language that connotes the essence of spirituality, referring to transcendence of Samsara through Path, Fruition and Nirvana (a phrase I already mentioned in notes on Bohm's discussion of fragmentation and wholeness). Oxford has a very rich spiritual heritage spanning more than a thousand years, making it a well-established religious centre of major importance; more recently the influx of people from so many nations around the world makes it a microcosm of global faiths. My father noticed that even though Oxford has a small population, it has people from so many different nations, which you would only ordinarily encounter in a city like London.
If I am to start setting down a list of points, what should I put for point number 1? I think that should set the tone, so should really speak from the heart of spirituality, with which people of Faith can resonate, something that gives real meaning to life in contrast to acquisitive and mechanistic existence. So I would suggest something along the lines of:
1. Promoting spirituality and faith as a means for deeper meaning in life.
Then, I think it is worth talking about shared spiritual values and there's already been a huge amount of work at many levels through the declaration towards a Global ethic:
2. The cultivation of spiritual values and a global ethic
As a simple basis for how we should conduct our lives, there are four directives in the Global Ethic:
i. commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life
ii. commitment to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order
iii. commitment to a culture of tolerance and life of truthfulness
iv. commitment to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women
(personally, I think this misses a 5th directive of keeping mindful by avoiding intoxicants such as alcohol, but four is better than zero!)
This has to be validated, so it seems fitting that the book 'Testing the Global Ethic' was edited by Oxford people - Rev. Dr Marcus Braybrooke and Peggy Morgan.
It's not just an academic work - note the 'Call to our Guiding Institutions' that seeks to apply these values at many levels in society:
http://www.consciouschoice.com/2000/cc1304/calltoguidinginsts1304.htmlhttp://www.cpwr.org/resource/call_to_gis.htm
And I'd continue by talking about establishing common purpose...
" finding common ground internally and externally to progress on a united front, so as to develop harmony and support each other, thereby working towards a community of friendship, mutual respect, sharing and learning among the cultures and faiths of Oxford and a source of inspiration for all."
I tend to emphasise unity because the world is such a fragmented place.
So a little vision, a personal vision, with just a couple of points that I hope might be a useful contribution to any co-ordinated initiative. I hope many others will contribute theirs... How about an Oxford faiths wiki...? :-)
