On Self-Determined Reading Lists, the Importance of Listening, and Giving Advancement a Seat at the Table

Professor Michael Arthur describes his leadership at University College London, on the eve of his forthcoming retirement. The conversation spans the rationale for taking a long view in the UCL’s strategic planning process and why a twenty- year planning horizon made sense; the importance of listening, and how an institution needs to take responsibility for histories of institutional racism in order to set a starting point for making progress in racial and ethnic equity. He and Sue Cunningham discuss why he elevated advancement to the university’s leadership table upon his arrival at UCL, and why that was an easy decision though it isn’t as common in the UK as it is in some other regions. Hear why advancement is among the best part of his job, and why he advises empowering others so leaders have the headspace and time to think through the complexities of what they seek to achieve.