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Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture

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Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture

We are pleased to announce 'The Bishnodat Persaud Memorial Lecture 2018' with Sir Vince Cable.

Date: Thursday 11 October, 6pm
Location: Central Campus, University of Warwick

Professor The Honourable Bishnodat Persaud CHB, PhD, FRSA (1933 – 2016) was a Guyanese economist who made an enormous contribution to economic policy making in developing countries from the 1970s to the 1990s, especially in the area of international trade, the environment and the vulnerabilities and viability of small states. He served as Alcan Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of the West Indies and Director of Economic Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat. In November 2013 he was awarded The Companion of Honour in Barbados for his contributions to regional and international public service.

Persaud spent eighteen years in the service of the Commonwealth Secretariat, with eleven of those years spent as Director and Head of the Economic Affairs Division. Before joining the Commonwealth Secretariat, he was Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Barbados and served for a period as head of the Eastern Caribbean branch of the Institute of Social and Economic Research in Barbados.

Together with Sir Vince Cable, he co-wrote Developing with Foreign Investment (1987), a book that encouraged investors to consider emerging markets. He visited Warwick many times and had a close friendship with former Chancellor Sir Shridath Ramphal.

About Sir Vince Cable

Sir Vince Cable is the current MP for Twickenham and Leader of Liberal Democrats. He was the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, and President of the Board of Trade between 2010 and 2015. He also supports various charitable bodies as Patron in Twickenham.

As the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable shares his vision for the country and party in the ‘Vince’s Manifesto’ paperwork where he states that he wants to lead the Liberal Democrats he is “ambitious” about their future. He is also expressing his thoughts on Brexit by saying that he believes they are “the only party that can represent the millions of liberal-minded people alarmed by the direction this country is taking”. Vince Cable’s agenda is focused on empowering people’s decisions which can affect their lives, such as Brexit, and building an economy which is fair and efficient for everyone. Vince aims at improving the efficiency of public services and fix “Britain’s broken politics” in order to offer a better future for young people.

Sir Vince Cable has numerous achievements as MP and in Government such as:

  • Championed local schools and the Tertiary College: securing capital funding and blocking damaging funding formula in government
  • Set up and chaired All-party Police Group
  • Successful campaign to extend breast cancer screening and improve cervical and bowel cancer screening
  • Lots more women on boards, at top of companies (mostly personal crusade)
  • Saved and modernised Post Office Network (No local closures since 2010)
  • Putting universities on good financial footing – leading to expansion at St Mary’s

Vince is actively involved in various local and national charitable bodies as Patron of Shooting Star Chase, a children’s hospice which has Simon Cowell as its Vice-President, and Mulberry Centre which practically and emotionally supports anyone affected by cancer and many others.

Registration

Due to the popularity of these Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture series, we require you to register.

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