Peter Mathieson (nephrologist)
Xiang Zhang | |
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Personal details | |
Born | Peter William Mathieson 18 April 1959 Colchester, England |
Alma mater | London Hospital Medical College (MBBS) Christ's College, Cambridge (PhD) |
Salary | £380,904 (2021–22)[1] |
Signature | |
Academic background | |
Thesis | Role of T lymphocytes in autoimmune responses. (1992) |
Sir Peter William Mathieson
Biography
Mathieson went to school in
Career
University of Bristol
Mathieson joined the
He was appointed Dean of the university's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in 2008.
University of Hong Kong
In October 2013, Mathieson was appointed
His tenure at HKU was described to be full of "tension and clashes between the university's governing body and students".
In 2015, Mathieson was elected as an honorary fellow of Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.[22] That year, a University of Hong Kong panel led by Mathieson selected Johannes Chan as pro-vice-chancellor, however the appointment was blocked by the university's governing council.[23] Chan is pro-democracy, supports human rights, and had supported the student occupy protest in 2014, and was unpopular with the government. The episode was viewed as an incident in which the university's academic freedom was under threat, and Mathieson's authority suffered as a result; in a staff survey, 78% of people did not feel Mathieson had "effectively protected academic freedom".[24][25] Addressing the results of the survey, Mathieson acknowledged the unpopularity of some of his actions and questioned the survey's methodology.[26]
On 2 February 2017, two years before the original expiry of his contract, Mathieson resigned from the post of HKU.[20] Mathieson claimed that he was squeezed out of the position by HKU's Chairman of the Governing Council, Arthur Li.[27] The Chairman of the Staff Association, William Cheung, stated "you may now appreciate why we thank you [University of Edinburgh] so many times for taking Professor Mathieson on board" after claims that Mathieson failed to uphold academic freedom, discouraged debate on campus, and did not understand the needs of students emerged from a staff survey.[28] Addressing the results of the survey, Mathieson described the survey as flawed in its methodology.[26]
University of Edinburgh
Mathieson became
At Edinburgh, Mathieson was further criticised for his lack of oversight in relation to a replacement finance system which failed to pay staff, students and suppliers over an extended period,[31] continued to give units within the University no financial control for more than a year after its implementation and cost more than double its original £14 million price tag.[32][33][34] He was further criticised for accepting a pay rise of £43,000 in 2022, [35] at a time when his staff continued to strike due to erosion of their salaries. Student protests disrupted the 2023 summer graduations, where Mathieson was blamed for not settling the dispute with his staff causing students to receive unclassified degrees [36][37] and bringing calls for his resignation.[38]
Mathieson lives rent and bill free in a mansion on one of Scotland's most expensive streets and was paid £17,910 to maintain the property in 2021-22, including paying his council tax and servicing his aga cooker.[39]
In December 2023 the Edinburgh University Students' Association voted for Mathieson's resignation with a 95% majority of 648 votes for, 35 votes against, and 29 abstentions on a motion of “University management accountability and vote of no confidence”. The motion called for his resignation no later than July 2024.[40]
Research
According to Mathieson's profile on the University of Bristol website:
[Mathieson's] major clinical interest is in autoimmune renal diseases, such as glomerulonephritis, systemic vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus. His research interests are in human glomerular cell biology and regulation of glomerular permeability, and he leads the group in the Academic Renal Unit that in recent years has made significant contributions to the study of podocytes and glomerular endothelial cells, interactions between them and factors in the causation and treatment of proteinuria. The work of the group has attracted major research grant funding of about £5 million from sources including Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust and Kidney Research UK.[13]
Honours
Mathieson was knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to higher education.[41]
Notes and References
Notes
- ^ Ian Rees Davies succeeded as chancellor after Cheng Yiu-chung's resignation and was not directly appointed.
References
- ^ "Annual Report and Accounts for the Year to 31 July 2022" (PDF). The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Officers of the University". hku.hk.
- ^ "New Fellows for the Royal Society of Edinburgh". ed.ac.uk.
- ^ "Appointment of next Principal and Vice-Chancellor". ed.ac.uk. University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c d e f "The Principal". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ^ Role of T lymphocytes in autoimmune responses, British Library, retrieved 8 October 2018
- ^ "Professor Peter Mathieson Appointed HKU's 15th Vice-Chancellor" (PDF), The University of Hong Kong Bulletin, vol. 15, no. 1, The University of Hong Kong, p. 1, December 2013
- ^ Professor Peter Mathieson, University of Bristol, retrieved 9 October 2018
- ^ Who we represent, Universities Scotland, retrieved 9 October 2018
- ^ Fellow: Professor Peter Mathieson FMedSci, The Academy of Medical Sciences, retrieved 9 October 2018
- ^ The cellular basis of albuminuria, UK Research and Innovation, retrieved 10 October 2018
- ^ a b Bristol, University of. "Professor Peter Mathieson - School of Clinical Sciences". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ New Principal starts tenure by teaching, University of Edinburgh, 3 April 2018, retrieved 9 October 2018
- ^ "The battle against kidney disease" (PDF), Review of the year 2012-2013, University of Bristol, p. 13, 2013, retrieved 10 October 2018
- PMID 23312808
- ^ Cheung, Tony (2 October 2013), "Doubts about expat tipped to be HKU head", South China Morning Post, retrieved 10 October 2018
- ^ a b Cheung, Tony (4 October 2013), Peter Mathieson confirmed as new head of HKU, South China Morning Post, retrieved 10 October 2018
- ^ "Journalism professor questions choice of Briton as HKU head", South China Morning Post, 4 October 2013, retrieved 10 October 2018
- ^ a b c "University of Hong Kong chief Peter Mathieson resigns, set to take up post in Scotland". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Universities warned about 'independence' discussions".
- ^ "Elections" (PDF), Cambridge University Reporter, vol. 145, no. 26, 16 April 2015
- ^ "University of Hong Kong picks Berkeley scientist as next v-c", Times Higher Education, 15 December 2017, retrieved 10 October 2018
- ^ Ewing, Kent (15 January 2018), "Maligned, befuddled and misunderstood: HKU's Peter Mathieson exits just how he entered", Hong Kong Free Press, retrieved 11 October 2018
- ^ Haas, Benjamin (8 January 2018), "Edinburgh University's new vice-chancellor condemned in staff survey", The Guardian, retrieved 11 October 2018
- ^ a b c d "Exclusive: Peter Mathieson's first face-to-face interview as University of Edinburgh principal". The Student Newspaper. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Let's bid good riddance to Peter Mathieson". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Edinburgh University's new vice-chancellor condemned in staff survey". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Edinburgh University principal to get 33% pay hike". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ New Principal starts tenure by teaching, University of Edinburgh, 3 April 2018, retrieved 11 October 2018
- ^ "University orders investigation into Oracle finance disaster".
- ^ "Edinburgh University to pay extra £8m for controversial finance system". BBC News. 24 March 2023.
- ^ "University orders investigation into Oracle finance disaster".
- ^ "Academics have 'no confidence' in Edinburgh University's response to its Oracle disaster".
- ^ "Revealed: Scottish university principals share 'eye-watering' pay rises worth more than £300,000".
- ^ "'Peter Mathieson is a joke': Edinburgh students react to graduation ceremonies with no degrees". 6 July 2023.
- ^ Paton, Craig. "Student protest disrupts Edinburgh University graduation ceremony".
- ^ "Edinburgh University student protests during own graduation over 'empty degrees'". 11 July 2023.
- ^ "Edinburgh University paid more than £17,900 to run Principal's £1.7m house last academic year".
- ^ "EUSA passes motion calling for Peter Mathieson's resignation".
- ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N2.