I began teaching (privately) when I was 15 and have never stopped, whether as a postgrad student at the University of Oxford or as Visiting Professor to two Beijing universities. I have always thought of myself as an ‘awakener’ as the poet Robert Frost put it.

This is what kindled the passion for learning in me: to awaken others as I was awakening myself. E-ducere, education as a leading out of oneself to find a path. It’s what led me to write my 20+ books and 100+ articles on literature, cinema and learning.

And it was also what led me to be a leader in my roles as Head of School, Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor: a passion not just for learning but for finding the right way on the path to make the learning environment a better place for students and colleagues.