XI World Congress of Rural Sociology

Trondheim, Norway
July 25-30, 2004

The Congress is over.
Information provided here is for reference.

Plenary Speakers

Professor Sir Howard Newby
Higher Education Funding Council for England

An Insider's View from the Outside: Rural Sociology and the Future of Rural Society

This paper will reflect upon the last thirty years in the development of rural sociology and on changes in rural society over the same period. It examines the changing role of rural society in an increasingly globalised world. It also examines the challenges facing rural sociology in an increasingly multi-disciplinary research environment.

Biographical Note

Sir Howard Newby joined the Higher Education Funding Council for England as Chief Executive in October 2001. Prior to that he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton from 1994 to 2001.

His earlier posts include Chairman (1988-94) and Chief Executive (1994) of the Economic and Social Research Council, Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex (1983-88) and Professor of Sociology and Rural Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1980-83). He has also held visiting appointments in Australia, and elsewhere.

Professor Newby has published many books and articles on social change in rural England and was for eight years a Rural Development Commissioner, a member of the Government body responsible for the economic and social regeneration of rural England. From 1983-88 he was Director of the ESRC Data Archive, a national facility for storing and disseminating computerised datasets for use by researchers in the public and private sectors.

Professor Newby has served on a number of government bodies concerned with the funding of research in the UK. From 1995-1999 he was Chair of CEST (Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology), a charitable body promoting technological innovation in industry, academia and government. From 1993-1996 he was a member of the Executive Council of the European Science Foundation.

From 1999 to 2001he was President of Universities UK, the UK body which represents the university sector. He was also President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 2001-02 and is currently a member of the executive committee.

Professor Newby was awarded a CBE in 1995 for his services to social science and a knighthood in 2000 for his services to higher education.