Author Archives: Athene Donald

Politicians, Leadership and Academia

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Athene Donald

We now have a new Prime Minister. A woman. I well remember  a young relative saying to me as Margaret Thatcher stood down ‘Was it possible to have a male prime minister?’ Well yes, and history tells us this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Dressing for Success?

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Athene Donald

Women’s attire is so often the focus of media attention. I expect the relative merits of Andrea Leadsom’s and Theresa May’s wardrobes will be dissected as front page news for weeks, along with Angela Eagle’s. Focus on the importance of … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Science Funding from Europe and Commissioner Moedas

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Athene Donald

I went to Brussels this week for a Plenary meeting of the European Research Council’s Scientific Council. It was a strange week to go. As I sat on Eurostar and stared out at the passing countryside I strongly felt, what … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Funding | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Graduation into Uncertainty

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Athene Donald

Graduation. That rite of passage that indicates the student moves on into the wider world. This past week has seen many hundreds of Cambridge undergraduates pass through the Senate House and emerge with their BA’s (or other appropriate degree(s)). So … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Forgetting Compassion

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Athene Donald

Last Thursday I sat next to the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Mark Walport, at a College dinner. We discovered we were exact contemporaries in Cambridge, both coming up in 1971 to a world utterly different from the one we … Continue reading →

Posted in diversity, minority | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments