“As general secretary of World University Service UK (WUS), he was instrumental in establishing a scholarship campaign to support Chilean academics and students whose lives were at risk in the wake of the September 1973 Pinochet coup d’état. WUS, in collaboration with the group Academics for Chile, went on to rescue 900 individuals and their families, enabling them to study and to rebuild their lives in the UK. Many would later return to Chile, contributing to the reestablishment of democracy after the fall of Pinochet. Alan would later comment that, the WUS programme was ‘one of the most complex and demanding ones I have been involved with in almost forty years of human rights work’.

“His passionate advocacy on behalf of refugee and asylum-seeking students at the University – and across the world – was unparalleled. Recognising the need to increase access to and awareness of available opportunities, he worked with the Widening Participation and Sanctuary Scholarship teams to bridge the gap for those who may have been unaware of the resources at their disposal.

“During his long association with Warwick, Alan was the first President of the Graduates Association, a member of the University Council, and a member of an academic advisory board on ethnic relations. He was awarded an honorary degree by Warwick in 2005.

“Alan’s contribution to refugee and ethnic minority issues was transformational, and his invaluable input and guidance influenced Warwick’s mission to create actively inclusive international communities.”

You can read more about Alan and his work in this obituary in the Guardian.