George Bain (academic)
Encyclopedia
Sir George Sayers Bain, a Canadian
by birth born in Winnipeg and attended Miles MacDonell Collegiate, was President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast
, Northern Ireland
from 1998 to 2004.
and taught there in 1962-3. He then proceeded to the University of Oxford
where he took a D.Phil in industrial relations. He subsequently pursued his academic career at Nuffield College, Oxford
; the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology; the University of Warwick
, where he was Chairman of the School of Industrial and Business Studies between 1983 and 1989; and finally the London Business School
, where he was Principal between 1989 and 1997.
He was a member of the Committee of Inquiry into Industrial Democracy chaired by Lord Bullock in 1976-7, of the Senior Salaries Review Body during 1993-6, and was Chairman of the Low Pay Commission during 1997-2002, the Work and Parents Taskforce in 2001, and the Independent Review of the Fire Service
in 2002.
He is a non-executive director of Bombardier Aerospace
, Canada Life Group (UK) Ltd, the Canada Life Capital Corporation, Electra Investment Trust Plc and Iain More Associates Ltd.
He holds nine honorary doctorates and was knighted in 2001.
. The latter's tenure was marked by an acrimonious dispute within, and without the University over symbols and the use of the national anthem at graduations ceremonies. Bain pushed Queen's further up the research league table, the RAE
but as this was achieved in part by the axing of long-standing departments like Geology, Classics and Irish Studies he suffered from a letter-writing campaign in the Belfast press from supporters of the staff whose posts were closed.
Perhaps the most public disappointment of his time at the helm of Belfast's senior university was the failure of the £60 million "Lanyon II" campaign to create a new 'student village'. The self-styled pressure-group "QUB Watch" also kept him under relentless scrutiny over the closure of the Armagh campus, and over what it considered his failure to reduce the number of cases of religious discrimination being taken against the university by members of staff.
His tenure at Queen's was also notable for a successful fundraising campaign for the Seamus Heaney
Poetry Centre and for a new Library building.
in 2002, it was wide-ranging and placed fire and rescue services in the UK under close scrutiny - it led to strike action by fire-fighters, shortly before the report's publication, although the FBU and fire and rescue services had been in tense negotiations for a year before. Sir Anthony Young
and Professor Sir Michael Lyons co-authored the review. The Bain Review was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister
on 16 December 2002, but a position paper was delivered earlier. Sir George said "Taking into account the very generous pension entitlement, the holiday arrangements, the good job security, firemen are actually not badly rewarded. The recruitment and retention figures back this up. There's about 40 applications for every vacancy in the fire service."
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...
by birth born in Winnipeg and attended Miles MacDonell Collegiate, was President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
from 1998 to 2004.
Biography
Bain studied economics and political science at the University of ManitobaUniversity of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
and taught there in 1962-3. He then proceeded to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
where he took a D.Phil in industrial relations. He subsequently pursued his academic career at Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
; the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology; the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, where he was Chairman of the School of Industrial and Business Studies between 1983 and 1989; and finally the London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
, where he was Principal between 1989 and 1997.
He was a member of the Committee of Inquiry into Industrial Democracy chaired by Lord Bullock in 1976-7, of the Senior Salaries Review Body during 1993-6, and was Chairman of the Low Pay Commission during 1997-2002, the Work and Parents Taskforce in 2001, and the Independent Review of the Fire Service
Independent Review of the Fire Service
The Independent Review of the Fire Service, sometimes referred to as the Bain Report or IRFS was a wide-ranging report carried out by Professor Sir George Bain, in 2002, at the request of the government, into the how Fire and Rescue Services were operated and managed; and about the working...
in 2002.
He is a non-executive director of Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
, Canada Life Group (UK) Ltd, the Canada Life Capital Corporation, Electra Investment Trust Plc and Iain More Associates Ltd.
He holds nine honorary doctorates and was knighted in 2001.
Career at Queen's
Bain's gregarious and extrovert personality was in marked contrast to the sombre leadership offered by his predecessor Sir Gordon BeveridgeSir Gordon Beveridge
Sir Gordon Beveridge, FEng, FIChemE, FRSA , was President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1986 - 1997...
. The latter's tenure was marked by an acrimonious dispute within, and without the University over symbols and the use of the national anthem at graduations ceremonies. Bain pushed Queen's further up the research league table, the RAE
RAE
RAE can stand for:*Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior, Argentina's shortwave international broadcaster*RAE Bedford, Royal Aircraft Establishment *RAE tube, a type of Endotracheal tube used in anaesthesia...
but as this was achieved in part by the axing of long-standing departments like Geology, Classics and Irish Studies he suffered from a letter-writing campaign in the Belfast press from supporters of the staff whose posts were closed.
Perhaps the most public disappointment of his time at the helm of Belfast's senior university was the failure of the £60 million "Lanyon II" campaign to create a new 'student village'. The self-styled pressure-group "QUB Watch" also kept him under relentless scrutiny over the closure of the Armagh campus, and over what it considered his failure to reduce the number of cases of religious discrimination being taken against the university by members of staff.
His tenure at Queen's was also notable for a successful fundraising campaign for the Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
Poetry Centre and for a new Library building.
Independent Review of the Fire Service
Bain was asked to chair a Government-funded Independent Review of the Fire ServiceIndependent Review of the Fire Service
The Independent Review of the Fire Service, sometimes referred to as the Bain Report or IRFS was a wide-ranging report carried out by Professor Sir George Bain, in 2002, at the request of the government, into the how Fire and Rescue Services were operated and managed; and about the working...
in 2002, it was wide-ranging and placed fire and rescue services in the UK under close scrutiny - it led to strike action by fire-fighters, shortly before the report's publication, although the FBU and fire and rescue services had been in tense negotiations for a year before. Sir Anthony Young
Anthony Young, Baron Young of Norwood Green
Anthony Ian Young, Baron Young of Norwood Green is a British politician and Labour Party life peer in the House of Lords....
and Professor Sir Michael Lyons co-authored the review. The Bain Review was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
on 16 December 2002, but a position paper was delivered earlier. Sir George said "Taking into account the very generous pension entitlement, the holiday arrangements, the good job security, firemen are actually not badly rewarded. The recruitment and retention figures back this up. There's about 40 applications for every vacancy in the fire service."