Stuart Laing (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Stuart Laing is a British diplomat.
He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
in 1970 having studied Classics
. He entered the diplomatic service in 1970.
During his service in the Diplomatic Service, Laing held the following offices:
He was appointed Master of his old college Corpus Christi on the 1 October 2008 succeeding Prof Oliver Rackham
.
Laing is married to Sibella (daughter of Sir Maurice Henry Dorman
, herself a graduate in History
of Newnham College, Cambridge
) and has a son and two daughters.
Laing found himself under a shroud of controversy in late February 2011 when accompanying a trade delegation to the Middle East
, led by the British Prime Minister David Cameron
, that contained several delegates from UK defence companies including BAE Systems
and Thales Group
. Laing attended in his official capacity as Deputy Vice Chancellor
of Cambridge University along with the heads of other British universities such as Imperial College London
and University College London
. Objections were raised that, as such weapons and devices of public order control had recently been used by the governments of Egypt
and Libya, it was irresponsible for the University to be involved in such a trip.
He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
in 1970 having studied Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. He entered the diplomatic service in 1970.
During his service in the Diplomatic Service, Laing held the following offices:
- Deputy Ambassador to the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
-- 1989-1992 - Deputy Ambassador to Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
-- 1992-1995 - High Commissioner to BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
-- 1998-2002 - Ambassador to OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
-- 2002-2005 - Ambassador to Kuwait -- 2005-2008
He was appointed Master of his old college Corpus Christi on the 1 October 2008 succeeding Prof Oliver Rackham
Oliver Rackham
Oliver Rackham OBE is a Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is also Keeper of theCollege Silver.An acknowledged authority on the British countryside, especially trees, woodlands and wood pasture, Rackham has written a number of well-known books, including The History of the...
.
Laing is married to Sibella (daughter of Sir Maurice Henry Dorman
Maurice Henry Dorman
Sir Maurice Henry Dorman, GCMG, GCVO was the representative of the British Monarchy in Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Sierra Leone, and Malta. He studied at Cambridge University. He served in Sierra Leone from 1956 until 1962, for which he was knighted in 1957...
, herself a graduate in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
) and has a son and two daughters.
Laing found himself under a shroud of controversy in late February 2011 when accompanying a trade delegation to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, led by the British Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, that contained several delegates from UK defence companies including BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
and Thales Group
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
. Laing attended in his official capacity as Deputy Vice Chancellor
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
In a university, an assistant to a vice-chancellor is called a pro-vice-chancellor . These are sometimes teaching academics who take on additional responsibilities. Some of these responsibilities are in charge of Administration, Research and Development, Academic and Education affairs...
of Cambridge University along with the heads of other British universities such as Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Objections were raised that, as such weapons and devices of public order control had recently been used by the governments of Egypt
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
and Libya, it was irresponsible for the University to be involved in such a trip.