Timothy O'Shea
Encyclopedia
Sir
Timothy Michael Martin O'Shea, FRSE
(born 1949, Hamburg, Germany) is the current Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of Edinburgh
.
, attended the Royal Liberty School
in Gidea Park
, London
and later went to school in Essex
. A Computer Scientist
, he was Master of Birkbeck College
from 1998 and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
from 2001.
A graduate of the Universities of Sussex
and Leeds
, he has worked in the United States
and for the Open University
where he founded the Computer Assisted Learning Research Group and worked on a range of educational technology research and development projects, later becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor there.
He was a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh
, Department of Artificial Intelligence, from 1974-78.
The most translated of his ten books is Learning and Teaching with Computers, co-authored with John Self and his most recent 2007 book, In Order to Learn, published by Oxford University Press
, was co-edited with Frank Ritter, Josef Nerb and Erno Lehtinen.
Professor O'Shea became Principal of the University of Edinburgh in October 2002. Since his appointment he has sat on various boards including the Boards of Scottish Enterprise
, the Intermediary Technology Institute Scotland Ltd, the British Council
, the Governing Body of the Roslin Institute and has been Convenor of the Research and Commercialisation Committee of Universities Scotland
. He is currently Acting Convener of Universities Scotland.
In 2004 he was elected Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh
. In common with Vice-Chancellors across the UK his salary has been a subject of media debate.
He was knighted
in the 2008 New Year Honours
.
). He is also Chair of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise.
He is Universities Scotland Vice Convenor and sits on the Council of the Confucius Institute Headquarters. He has served two terms both as a Trustee of the British Council and as a member of the main Board of Scottish Enterprise.
Professor O'Shea is currently also involved in overseeing the German Initiative for Excellence, or 'Excellenzinitiative'.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
Timothy Michael Martin O'Shea, FRSE
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
(born 1949, Hamburg, Germany) is the current Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Biography
Prof. O'Shea grew up in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, attended the Royal Liberty School
Royal Liberty School
The Royal Liberty School, once a traditional English grammar school, now a state comprehensive boys senior school in Gidea Park in the London Borough of Havering in east London, United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
in Gidea Park
Gidea Park
Gidea Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England. Gidea Park is a part of Romford post town.-History:Gidea Park is the location of the "Romford Garden Suburb" constructed in 1910 to 1911 on the Gidea Hall and Balgores Estates as an exhibition of town planning...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and later went to school in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. A Computer Scientist
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
, he was Master of Birkbeck College
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
from 1998 and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
from 2001.
A graduate of the Universities of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, he has worked in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and for the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
where he founded the Computer Assisted Learning Research Group and worked on a range of educational technology research and development projects, later becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor there.
He was a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Department of Artificial Intelligence, from 1974-78.
The most translated of his ten books is Learning and Teaching with Computers, co-authored with John Self and his most recent 2007 book, In Order to Learn, published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, was co-edited with Frank Ritter, Josef Nerb and Erno Lehtinen.
Professor O'Shea became Principal of the University of Edinburgh in October 2002. Since his appointment he has sat on various boards including the Boards of Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a sponsored non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business...
, the Intermediary Technology Institute Scotland Ltd, the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, the Governing Body of the Roslin Institute and has been Convenor of the Research and Commercialisation Committee of Universities Scotland
Universities Scotland
Universities Scotland was formed in 1992 as the Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals adopting its current name in 2000, when Universities UK was also formed. It represents 14 Universities and six other higher education institutions in Scotland. The Convener serves a two-year term of...
. He is currently Acting Convener of Universities Scotland.
In 2004 he was elected Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
. In common with Vice-Chancellors across the UK his salary has been a subject of media debate.
He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2008 New Year Honours
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
.
Boards and Committees
Since January 2009, Professor O’Shea has been Chair of JISC (the Joint Information Systems CommitteeJoint Information Systems Committee
JISC is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body whose role is to support post-16 and higher education and research by providing leadership in the use of ICT in learning, teaching, research and administration...
). He is also Chair of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise.
He is Universities Scotland Vice Convenor and sits on the Council of the Confucius Institute Headquarters. He has served two terms both as a Trustee of the British Council and as a member of the main Board of Scottish Enterprise.
Professor O'Shea is currently also involved in overseeing the German Initiative for Excellence, or 'Excellenzinitiative'.