Anastasios Christodoulou
Encyclopedia
Anastasios 'Chris' Christodoulou CBE (May 1 1932 – May 20 2002) was a British
based Greek Cypriot
university administrator
. He was the Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
and the Foundation Secretary of the Open University
.
in 1932, the oldest of three sons of Yianni Christodoulos, a cobbler
, and his wife, Maria, née Haji. He came to London
when he was three to join his father who was working as a kitchen porter in Soho
. He hardly knew his mother, who died giving birth to twin sons, who lived. These twin brothers later went to live in Barbados
with foster parents. Christodoulou had been born on Easter Day
and was named 'Anastasios' by his parents, meaning 'Resurrection
'. He lived with his father above a Soho restaurant and early on displayed a precocious intelligence. He went to a local primary school aged five, not knowing a word of English
, but by half-term was interpreting for much of the local Greek Cypriot
community. Aged 11 he won a place at St Marylebone Grammar School.
and served as District Officer and later District Commissioner and Magistrate
in Tanganyika
. In 1963 he moved to the University of Leeds
, where he was Assistant Registrar and later Deputy Secretary. In 1968, he became Foundation Secretary of the Open University
, having been appointed by Walter Perry
, the University's Vice-Chancellor. They began work on 1 January 1969. While in recent years the OU
has been described as one of the great educational initiatives of the twentieth century, its early days were difficult. Labour
politicians Harold Wilson
and Jennie Lee had been determined that it should be a 'proper' university, there were many who believed that the University would fail, and would award worthless degrees. Christodoulou also had to overcome various disputes between course teams, the BBC
, and regional organizers. When Edward Heath
's Conservative Party
came to power in 1970 Margaret Thatcher
was appointed Secretary of State for Education and Science
. She proved to be deeply sceptical about the academic standards of the OU
, believing that students could get degrees just by ticking boxes, because some courses included multiple-choice questions. Christodoulou and Walter Perry
travelled back to London
with Thatcher after she had visited the Open University, and managed to persuade her that it was genuine and useful. In 1971 Christodoulou was responsible for managing 43,000 initial applications, from which 24,000 students began degree courses. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1978 Queen's Birthday Honours
. In May 1981, he was awarded an honorary degree
from the Open University as Doctor of the University.
from 1980 to 1996. He increased the membership of the association, and raised £2 million in a 75th anniversary appeal with the Canadian
academic
Thomas Symons
. A great supporter of the Commonwealth, Christodoulou was also acting Chairman of the Governors of the Commonwealth Institute
, Secretary of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, and a Governor of the Commonwealth of Learning
in Vancouver
. In 1996 he received an honorary doctorate
from Brunel University
. He was a Trustee of Richmond, The American International University in London, and in 1997 received an honorary doctorate in International Relations
from that university. He also received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa
and the University of Auckland
. In 1995 he received the National University of Lesotho
's fiftieth anniversary award for distinguished service to Africa
n education.
Christodoulou retained his links with Cyprus
. With Loucas Haji-Ioannou, the father of Stelios Haji-Ioannou
, the founder of EasyJet
, he attempted to set up a new Cyprus university, but, to his disappointment, Haji-Ioannou pulled out. Shortly before his death Christodoulou returned to the village where he had been born but was unhappy to discover that it had been occupied by Turkish
troops. During his last years he was affected by eyesight problems and was treated for cancer.
On 10 December 1955, he married Joan Patricia Edmunds, a librarian and the daughter of John Samuel Edmunds, an engineer. They had two sons and two daughters.
Anastasios Christodoulou died from cancer at the General Hospital, Milton Keynes
, on 20 May 2002.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based Greek Cypriot
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
university administrator
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
. He was the Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
and the Foundation Secretary of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
Early years
Christodoulou was born in CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1932, the oldest of three sons of Yianni Christodoulos, a cobbler
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
, and his wife, Maria, née Haji. He came to 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...
when he was three to join his father who was working as a kitchen porter in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
. He hardly knew his mother, who died giving birth to twin sons, who lived. These twin brothers later went to live in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
with foster parents. Christodoulou had been born on Easter Day
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
and was named 'Anastasios' by his parents, meaning 'Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
'. He lived with his father above a Soho restaurant and early on displayed a precocious intelligence. He went to a local primary school aged five, not knowing a word of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, but by half-term was interpreting for much of the local Greek Cypriot
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
community. Aged 11 he won a place at St Marylebone Grammar School.
The Open University
After graduating in 1955 from Queen's College, Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, he joined the overseas Civil ServiceCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
and served as District Officer and later District Commissioner and Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. In 1963 he moved to the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, where he was Assistant Registrar and later Deputy Secretary. In 1968, he became Foundation Secretary of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, having been appointed by Walter Perry
Walter Perry
Walter Laing MacDonald Perry, Baron Perry of Walton FRS FRCP FRSE was a distinguished academic. He was the first Vice Chancellor of the Open University....
, the University's Vice-Chancellor. They began work on 1 January 1969. While in recent years the OU
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
has been described as one of the great educational initiatives of the twentieth century, its early days were difficult. Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politicians Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and Jennie Lee had been determined that it should be a 'proper' university, there were many who believed that the University would fail, and would award worthless degrees. Christodoulou also had to overcome various disputes between course teams, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and regional organizers. When Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
's Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
came to power in 1970 Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was appointed Secretary of State for Education and Science
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
. She proved to be deeply sceptical about the academic standards of the OU
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, believing that students could get degrees just by ticking boxes, because some courses included multiple-choice questions. Christodoulou and Walter Perry
Walter Perry
Walter Laing MacDonald Perry, Baron Perry of Walton FRS FRCP FRSE was a distinguished academic. He was the first Vice Chancellor of the Open University....
travelled back to 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...
with Thatcher after she had visited the Open University, and managed to persuade her that it was genuine and useful. In 1971 Christodoulou was responsible for managing 43,000 initial applications, from which 24,000 students began degree courses. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1978 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
. In May 1981, he was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the Open University as Doctor of the University.
Later career
Christodoulou was the Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
from 1980 to 1996. He increased the membership of the association, and raised £2 million in a 75th anniversary appeal with the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
Thomas Symons
Thomas Symons
Thomas Henry Bull Symons, CC, O.Ont, FRSC is a Canadian professor and author in the fields of Canadian Studies.Born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Harry Lutz Symons and Dorothy Sarah Bull, Symons graduated from Upper Canada College in 1942. He attended the University of Toronto , Oxford , and...
. A great supporter of the Commonwealth, Christodoulou was also acting Chairman of the Governors of the Commonwealth Institute
Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute was an educational charity connected with the Commonwealth of Nations, and the name of a building in West London formerly owned by the Institute...
, Secretary of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, and a Governor of the Commonwealth of Learning
Commonwealth of Learning
The Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organization of the Commonwealth of Nations headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In 1996 he received an honorary doctorate
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
. He was a Trustee of Richmond, The American International University in London, and in 1997 received an honorary doctorate in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from that university. He also received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
and the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. In 1995 he received the National University of Lesotho
National University of Lesotho
The National University of Lesotho is situated at Roma some 34 kilometers southeast of Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The Roma valley is broad and is surrounded by a barrier of rugged mountains which provides magnificent scenery. The University enjoys a temperate climate with four distinctive...
's fiftieth anniversary award for distinguished service to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n education.
Christodoulou retained his links with Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. With Loucas Haji-Ioannou, the father of Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou , born 14 February 1967) is a British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin, currently a resident of Monaco. He is the scion of a wealthy, shipowning family, but is best known for setting up easyJet, a highly successful and profitable low-cost airline, with start-up funds...
, the founder of EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
, he attempted to set up a new Cyprus university, but, to his disappointment, Haji-Ioannou pulled out. Shortly before his death Christodoulou returned to the village where he had been born but was unhappy to discover that it had been occupied by Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
troops. During his last years he was affected by eyesight problems and was treated for cancer.
On 10 December 1955, he married Joan Patricia Edmunds, a librarian and the daughter of John Samuel Edmunds, an engineer. They had two sons and two daughters.
Anastasios Christodoulou died from cancer at the General Hospital, Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, on 20 May 2002.
Publications
- 'The Commonwealth of Universities: The Story of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, 1963-1988' by Hugh W. Springer, Alastair Niven, Anastasios Christodoulou, Association of Commonwealth Universities Staff Published by Association of Commonwealth Universities, ISBN 0851431097