The Daily Novel

Roland Levinsky was struck down and killed by an electricity cable, blown down in the gusty winds of New Year’s Day when he was walking with his wife and his dog, in the beautiful South Devon countryside near his home. Aged 63, he was at the height of his powers as an administrator. As Vice Chancellor of Plymouth University he was transforming Plymouth University according to his own vision of what a good university should be.

The new up to the minute Daily Telegraph web page beat the other heavies, both with a detailed news story on the accident and an excellent obituary, which shows how much Levinsky had achieved before he was struck down.

Levinsky made his first reputation as a scientist working on the body’s immune system. In 1989 he became head of the Institute of Child Health, attached to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, which he turned into a world class research and teaching establishment in the field of bone marrow, stem cells and gene therapy.

When the new government inspired managerialism led to the Institute being merged with University College, London in 1999, Levinsky did not rest on his laurels. He took the role of deputy vice-chancellor of UCL and used his influence to help ensure that change was based on educational imperatives, rather than just pandering to commercialism. He chaired a committee to establish good practice guidelines in post graduate education.

In 2002 he took on the role of Vice Chancellor at Plymouth University, which he set out to rebuild according to his belief that ‘the ideal university is a place where arts and sciences talk to each other’. The Plymouth he inherited was not like that, partly because there were several dispersed campuses. Levinski set out to bring all the colleges together on the main Plymouth site, so that future students would have the benefits from studying together with students from other disciplines.

He faced strident opposition, notably from the agricultural college at Seale Hayne, near Newton Abbott. The local farmers threatened to dump manure in his drive. More seriously they lobbied in the House of Lords and persuaded the Prince of Wales to come out on their side. One female student even issued a death threat over the telephone in the middle of the night.

Levinsky, who was blessed with a sense of humour, took such opposition in his stride. He continued to press the rational arguments for his plan. He bore no grudge against the hot headed student, who, after disciplining, went on to get her degree.

He will be sorely missed. But hopefully the reforms he has instituted will stay in place for the benefit of future students.