Brian Lang

Brian Andrew Lang CBE FRSE (born 2 December 1945) is a Scottish social anthropologist who served as deputy chairman of the British Library and Principal of the University of St Andrews.[1]

Early life

Lang was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh[2] where he studied social anthropology, graduating MA in 1968. He started research for a PhD in 1969 with a year of fieldwork in Kenya, and his thesis was accepted six years later.[3]

Career

He lectured in social anthropology for some years at Aarhus University, Denmark.[4] Returning to the United Kingdom, he joined the scientific staff of the Social Science Research Council, where he was latterly Principal Scientific Officer.[5]

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.[6]

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. During this period, the British Library made the delayed and over-budget move into its new building at St Pancras.[7][8]

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.[9]

At St Andrews

Lang succeeded Struther Arnott as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in January 2001.

Lang, upon retirement as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, was succeeded by Louise Richardson. He departed office on 31 December 2008.

Controversies

During his first year at St Andrews, Lang was accused of sexual harassment by a member of the University's administrative staff.[10] Shortly before the start of the resulting employment tribunal, Lang made an out of court settlement with his accuser.[11] In retrospect, this case was considered to have contributed to Lang's unpopularity as Principal.[12]

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".[13] (This view of the Ik, due to Colin Turnbull, has been repeatedly criticized.[14][15])

Lang was 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 Jaguar to make the 1.1 mile journey to his office.[16]

Awards and honours

Lang was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts, heritage, and education.[17]

In 2006, Lang was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[18]

References
  • University of St Andrews: The Principal - Dr Brian Lang
  • National Heritage Memorial Fund - Brian Lang
  1. "About us > Dr Brian Lang FRSE. Chair". Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  2. "In the news: Brian Lang". Times Higher Education (THE). 24 August 2001. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  3. Lang, Brian: "Migrants, commuters, and townsmen: aspects of urbanization in a small town in Kenya". PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1975.
  4. "In the news: Brian Lang". Times Higher Education (THE). 24 August 2001. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "University asks Principal to extend stay" (Press release). University of St Andrews. 10 May 2005. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014.
  7. "In the news: Brian Lang". Times Higher Education (THE). 24 August 2001. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  8. "Sparks fly over British Library costs". Times Higher Education (THE). 28 June 1996. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Peterkin, Tom: "Prince's university head denies sex case claim", The Telegraph, 20 August 2001
  11. Urquhart, Frank (21 May 2002). "University settles sexual harassment case minutes before hearing". The Scotsman. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  12. Kemp, Jackie (17 March 2009). "Will auld customs soon be forgot?". The Guardian'. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  13. "Lecturers compared to lying tribesmen", The Times, 17 January 2004
  14. Heine, Bernd, The Mountain People: Some Notes on the Ik of North-Eastern Uganda. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 55, No. 1, 1985, pp. 3–16.
  15. Knight, John, 'The Mountain People' as tribal mirror. Anthropology Today, Vol. 10, No. 6, December 1994.
  16. Stokeld, Nick: "I want to Buy Brian a Bike", The Saint, 10 Nov 2007.
  17. "No. 61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B9.
  18. "Fellows > Dr Brian Lang CBE, FRSE". Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Professor Struther Arnott		 Vice-Chancellor and
Principal of the University of St Andrews
January 2001–December 2008		 Succeeded by
Professor Louise Richardson
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