Like his scholarship, Sir David Watson’s knighthood sat light and unpretentious on his shoulders. David was not just highly respected by the higher education policy community globally and nationally. He was also, as his Brighton colleague Yvonne Hiller well observed, ‘one of the few truly honest men who combined intellectual prowess with genuine concern and friendship for colleagues’ (THE 12 February 2015 p. 8). Alumnus of Britain’s top school where many prime ministers are made, he wore his wide and deep scholarship lightly, and understood more about more different local and global cultures, and communities of practice, than most. He was a natural co-founder of Talloires, one of the rare breed of vice-chancellors who fully practise the community engagement that they preach. The civic turn-out for his retirement from Brighton before applying for a Chair at the London Institute of Education was an unprecedented demonstration of this rare quality. 

I first knew David when he was a senior administrator at the then Oxford Polytechnic where he pioneered modular degrees in Britain. In subsequent years he became a leading national figure in mainstream higher education, finding time to assume the Chair of what is now the UK Universities Association for Lifelong Learning at a difficult time for university adult education and contributing to the work of the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education. Meanwhile he graduated to global stature both before and through Talloires. At Green Templeton College back in Oxford his internationalism marked his College leadership; he continued an invaluable role as a creative public intellectual, frequently cited in the media as well as publishing freely: his output was impressive not only in volume but always with challenging insight and lessons for practice.

David’s distinctiveness lay in his personal generosity and charm applied to abiding important matters of higher education locally and globally. He was an influential inner circle leader who was never secretive, always looking outwards. These contributions combined uniquely. They set a standard that few can equal. We can best carry forward our love and honour for him: first by emulating his strong ethical foundations consistently applied with charm, gentle wit and humour; and by using his scholarship, always clear and purposeful. We can echo the application of his essential qualities by celebrating the continuation of his work locally, and notably in Brighton, by sustaining his integrity, humility and steely purpose via Talloires globally, and by remaining optimistic in the face of human and institutional frailties. Beyond the competitive corporatisation, securitisation and monetisation of our times, through whatever tangible legacy is chosen – Brighton’s named building, scholarships, named annual lectures – we should honour his legacy by believing that universities can be good at doing public good, and working to ensure that they are.   

Chris Duke

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Professor Chris Duke
Centre for European Studies
RMIT AUSTRALIA