Summary | CV | Contact | Projects | Etexts | Publications | Programmes
Barry Ife - Curriculum vitae
Career Details
Employment
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2004- |
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Principal, Guildhall School of Music & Drama |
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2003-2004 |
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Acting Principal, King's College London |
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1997-2003 |
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Vice-Principal, King's College London |
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1989-1996 |
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Head of the School of Humanities, King's College London |
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1988- |
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Cervantes Professor of Spanish, King's College London |
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1972-1988 |
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Lecturer in Spanish, Birkbeck College, University of London |
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1972-1988 |
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Lecturer in Spanish, Birkbeck College, University of London |
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1969-1971 |
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Assistant Lecturer in Spanish, University of Nottingham |
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Education
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1958-1965 |
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The Sweyne School, Rayleigh, Essex |
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1965-1969 |
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King's College, University of London |
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Qualifications
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1965 |
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ALCM Diploma (Associate of the London College of Music) |
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1968 |
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BA (Hons) in Spanish (First Class) with French Subsidiary, King's College London |
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1984 |
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PhD, Birkbeck College, University of London |
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Honours and appointments
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1983-1985 |
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Leverhulme Research Fellow |
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2000 |
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CBE, Queen's Birthday Honours |
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2001 |
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Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music |
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Academic Profile
An international authority on the history and culture of Spain and Spanish America from the 15th to the 18th centuries, and
a leading musicologist specializing in Spanish keyboard music; a prominent commentator on Spanish cultural affairs and frequent
contributor to the Times Literary Supplement on Spanish literature, drama and film; a holder of major awards from the Leverhulme Trust and the Arts and Humanities Research
Board (AHRB); appointed to the Cervantes Chair at King's College London in 1987; appointed CBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday
Honours for services to hispanic studies; elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 2001 for services to the
Academy.
Research
- Literature and culture of Spain and Spanish America, XV to XVIII century
- Spanish Golden-Age prose fiction and historical narrative, including New World historiography
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Literary and cultural consequences of printing in early-modern Spain
- Music and society, with special reference to performance practice and patronage
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Research Grants Awarded
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1981-1982 |
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British Academy, to prepare editions of Spanish keyboard music.
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1982-1983
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Nuffield Foundation, to prepare language-teaching materials for degree-level teaching of Spanish Language |
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1983-1985
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Leverhulme Research Fellowship, to study the impact of printing on the development of solo instrumental music before 1650 |
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1986
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University of London Central Research Fund, to prepare an edition of the works of Antonio Soler |
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1990-1992 |
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KCL Research Strategy Fund, to develop a machine-readable Corpus of Contemporary Spanish (two consecutive annual grants totalling
£50,000)
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1999-2002 |
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Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB): ‘Towards a History of the Novel in Early-Modern Spain’ (£121,600) |
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Publications in preparation
- The Origins of the Novel in Spain, a monograph on the growth of prose fiction in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain
- Re-writing the Conquest, a study of the influence of classical and medieval literature on fifteenth- and sixteenth-century writing about the discovery
and conquest of the New World
- A book-length study of Cervantes
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Teaching
- Literary and cultural history of Spain and Spanish America 1469-1681
- Special subjects in Cervantes, Góngora, Quevedo, the picaresque novel and the literature of discovery and conquest
- Aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Spanish novel and poetry
- Renaissance music and its literary context
- Research supervision in early modern Spanish prose and poetry, nineteenth-century novel, and New World history and historiography
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Vice-Principal and Acting Principal, King's College London (1997-2004)
The Vice Principal deputises for the Principal, leads the development of strategic planning for the College, plays a key role
in corporate academic governance, and has executive responsibility for the management of the four Schools based at the Strand
(Humanities, Social Science and Public Policy, Law, Physical Sciences and Engineering): some 6,800 students and 570 staff,
with an annual budget in excess of £70m. The Vice-Principal is a practised trouble-shooter and peacemaker.
Strategic Leadership
- Responsible for the development of the Strategic Objectives 1998-2008 (the blue-print for the newly merged College) and the Strategic Plan 2001-2010, including the 2003 revision
- Major contributor to financial strategy, including leading a successful bond issue (value £60m) and the achievement of a Standard
and Poor's AA- credit-rating, the first for a UK university
- Major contributor to strategic development of the College estate, including initiating the acquisition and development of
former Public Record Office as the Maughan Library
- Leads academic master-planning of the campuses at the Strand, Waterloo and St Thomas' Hospital ('Block 9') and chairs the
Strand redevelopment Project Board (value £40m)
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Leads and manages relationships with key external stakeholders including the Royal Academy of Music, RADA, the Globe Theatre,
the BfI, the NFT, the Royal National Theatre, the ICA, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the Somerset House Trust
- Provides championship for the External Relations Department, including development of the corporate visual identity, recruitment
and marketing
- Leads selected fundraising projects, including the successful bid to the D'Oyly Carte Trust for an endowed chair in Medicine
and the Arts, and regular fundraising for library Special Collections
- Initiates strategic academic initiatives, including film studies, the School of Social Science and Public Policy, Gifted and
Talented Education (DfES), the eUniversity, the culture and media strand of KCL Enterprises.
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Corporate Academic Governance
- Led the restructuring of corporate academic governance following mergers with the Institute of Psychiatry (1997) and the United
Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals (UMDS, 1998)
- As Chairman of Standing Committee, led the harmonization of College-wide quality assurance procedures, and as Chairman of
the College Board of Examiners has brokered the achievement of highly-commended College-wide assessment policies, criteria
and standards
- Led preparations for successful whole-institution audit in 2000, including production of the Analytical Account.
- As Chairman of the Information Systems and Services Committee, coordinates College-wide library, C&IT, computing, web and
e-learning strategies.
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Head of the School of Humanities (1989-1996)
Led the creation of a School of Humanities from three separate schools, successfully managing the project and harnessing the
energy and activities of all three organisations. Helped to position King's School of Humanities at the forefront of academic
and organizational development in Higher Education.
Leadership
- Established the strategic imperative and direction for the School
- Established the School from scratch, more than doubled its size in 8 years, and made it one of the best arts faculties in
the UK
- Led planning, resourcing and development decisions for the School
- Gave a creative lead in developing the School's academic range
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Executive Responsibilities
Responsible to the Principal for the overall academic and financial management of 13 academic departments, the English Language
Centre and the Modern Language Centre (2001 RAE ratings in parentheses; Geography and War Studies have since joined the School
of Social Science and Public Policy):
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Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies |
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5* |
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Music |
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5 |
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Classics |
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5* |
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Philosophy |
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5* |
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English |
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4 |
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Portuguese and Brazilian Studies |
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5* |
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French |
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5 |
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Spanish and Spanish-American Studies |
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5* |
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German |
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5* |
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Theology and Religious Studies |
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5 |
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Geography |
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4 |
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War Studies |
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5* |
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History |
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5* |
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- Total students rose from 1200 to 2500; total staff from 120 to 180; total budget £13m, of which research grants and contracts
in excess of £2m per annum.
- Restructured teaching on a modular basis and broadened the range of courses and programmes
- Produced outstandingly good performances in research grants and contracts
- Successfully implemented devolved administration (finance, registry and personnel)
- Pursued pro-active recruitment of research leaders in several key areas
- Developed and sustained teaching and research links with the Royal Academy of Music, RADA and the Courtauld Institute of Art
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Other Responsibilities in Higher Education
General Secretary of the National Council for Modern Languages (1985-1987)
Responsible for:
- formulating and implementing the Council's modern-language policies and for representing the interests of the constituent
organisations
- contact with funding bodies, grant-awarding agencies and the lobbying of parliament
The Council succeeded in establishing the first national enquiry into modern-language education, and played an influential
role in consolidating government policies on modern languages in the school curriculum.
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The Hayhoe Committee, Birkbeck College (1986-1987)
In 1985, I was elected to the Governing Body of Birkbeck College as a representative of the junior members of staff. I served
on several committees of Governors, including the Academic Policy Committee. In 1986 the College faced a major financial crisis
when its income was cut by 37.5%. I served on the special committee on College re-structuring (1986-1987) under the chairmanship
of Sir Barney Hayhoe and on its drafting sub-committee to which I was secretary. I then became heavily involved in the implementation
of the Hayhoe Report and the formulation of the College's Academic Plan, which I drafted in the summer of 1987.
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Reviews and Consultancies
- University of Manchester (1994): full management review of the Department of Spanish, all of the recommendations of which
have been successfully implemented. Similar reviews conducted at Trinity College Dublin, and the universities of Birmingham
and Strathclyde
- Royal Academy of Music (1995): full management review at the request of the Governing Body and under the direction of Sir
David Lumsden. The report of the review was widely welcomed and accepted as a blueprint for the academic and administrative
future of the Academy. I have since joined the Governing Body in propria persona, assisted with the appointment of a new Principal, and have been closely involved in the acquisition and refurbishment of
a new building
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA): facilitation of the transfer of
these institutions from the FE to the HE sector in partnership with King's in 2001
- Thames Valley University. In 1999 I successfully negotiated, and have since overseen the implementation of, the transfer of
the School of English Language Education to King's under TUPE. This involved extensive liaison with HEFCE
- SOAS. Negotiated transfer of Department of Geography; extensive liaison with HEFCE
- Membership of the Board of the Courtauld Institute of Art
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Work with Bodies Outside Higher Education
- Credit rating with Standard and Poor's. I played a leading role in securing the first credit rating for a UK university and
in having the rating confirmed this year. The rating awarded, AA-, is higher than many leading UK businesses, including the
bank which originally required the rating
- Cultural institutions in London, including the Globe Theatre, the South Bank Centre, the BBC, the Royal National Theatre and
the British Film Institute, with each of whom King's is building teaching and research partnerships
- The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in my role as a non-executive Director of King's subsidiary company, King's College
London Enterprises Limited (KCLE)
- Work with numerous architectural firms in connection with the development of a Master Plan for the Strand Campus, and the
acquisition and refurbishment of the former Public Record Office as a library and information centre for the four schools
located at the Strand. I have also been involved in associated fund-raising
- Negotiated partnership with the New York Film Academy.
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