Comment on "Present and Future of the British Schools, Institutes and Societies Abroad"

Abstract

Dr Finlayson has provided a valuable and timely review of the work of the various British Academy-supported Schools, Institutes and Societies abroad, and of the main challenges they face. It is interesting to find that many of the same issues with which the BIEA has to deal are common to the other institutions, especially those with overseas bases. Thus, there is very little to add in terms of generalities to Dr Finlayson’s summary except to note that, despite being ‘research positions’, all of the senior appointments at these institutions come with a range of administrative duties that typically include handling local staff recruitment and management, day-to-day overview of operations and budgets, liaison with local research institutions and similar bodies, fundraising and various editorial responsibilities, among others. This is not to bemoan the fact; rather, it is to make the point that while the administrative load may be different from that faced by colleagues in British universities, these appointments can in no way be regarded as extended sabbaticals. Finding the right balance between, on the one hand, administrative and editorial responsibilities, and on the other, individual research and publication output is one of the biggest challenges, and at times the former have to be given precedent over the latter. This is particularly the case for an institution such as the BIEA, which has to respond to the demands of several different constituencies, comprising British-based researchers and the UK research community, researchers and students based in the region, local and overseas members and the broader research community with an interest or specialisation in the subject areas the Institute supports. Satisfying the expectations of these different constituencies often requires quite different strategies.