Brian Lang

Brian Andrew Lang, FRSE, is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews.

Lang was born on 2 December 1945 in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh where he studied social anthropology, graduating MA in 1968, and PhD in 1974. Following a period in Kenya studying and living among the Kamba people, he lectured in social anthropology for some years at Aarhus University, Denmark. Returning to the United Kingdom, he joined the scientific staff of the Social Science Research Council, where he was latterly Principal Scientific Officer.

In 1979 and 1980 he was head of the Historic Buildings Branch of the Scottish Development Department, and from 1980 to 1987, was Director of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, based in London.

After this, he spent four years as Director of Public Affairs for the National Trust, before his appointment as Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of the British Library from 1991 until 2000. He was thus in charge of the delayed and over-budget move of the British Library into its large new building at St Pancras, but escaped censure. [Swain, Harriet: "In the news: Brian Lang", "Times Higher Education Supplement", 24th August 2001 [http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=164522&sectioncode=26] ]

Lang is a trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund, a member of the Cultural Commission and was appointed in August 2008 as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. [http://www.rsno.org.uk/cms/content/view/30/252/]

At St Andrews

Lang succeeded Struther Arnott as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in January 2001. During his first year at St Andrews, Lang was accused of sexual harassment by a member of the University's administrative staff. Shortly before the start of the resulting employment tribunal, the university made an out-of-court settlement. [Urquhart, Frank: "University settles sexual harassment case minutes before hearing", "The Scotsman", 21st May 2002 [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=546902002] ]

At an unrelated employment tribunal in 2004, Lang drew on his background in social anthropology to compare an academic department at St Andrews to the Ik tribe of Uganda, who, he said, were noted for their "dishonesty, lying and cheating". ["Lecturers compared to lying tribesmen", "The Times", 17th January, 2004 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article997075.ece] ] He was ridiculed for this remark in St Andrews when it was pointed out that "refuting" this view of the Ik, due to Colin Turnbull, is an essay topic for first-year social anthropology students. [http://www.thesinner.net/messageboard-viewthread.php?thread=7328]

Lang inspired further controversy in 2006 during the graduation ceremonies when he indicated that students sided with management over the lecturers' pay dispute. Polls suggested this was not the case, and that the majority of students supported the lecturers' plight.

On 9th March 2006 it was announced that he was to be inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

His contract of employment has been extended until 31 December 2008 by the University Court. He will be succeeded by Louise Richardson from January 2009.

Lang has recently been accused of hypocrisy by the St Andrews student newspaper "The Saint" for promoting the University's environmental policy by asking other members of the university not to use cars, while continuing to use his official Jaguar to make the journey to his office. [Stokeld, Nick: "I want to Buy Brian a Bike", "The Saint", 10th Nov 2007 [http://www.thesaintonline.com/features/33416.php] ]

References

*University of St Andrews: The Principal - Dr Brian Lang [http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/administration/officeoftheprincipal/Staff/ThePrincipal/]
*National Heritage Memorial Fund - Brian Lang [http://www.hlf.org.uk/NHMFWeb/AboutTheNHMF/Trustees/Brian+Lang.htm]