The principal of the University of Abertay Dundee has retired, following a protracted employment dispute with the university’s senior management.
The announcement by the university comes after principal Professor Bernard King’s suspension in January. The move was thought to have been related to a disagreement between King - the longest serving vice chancellor in the UK - and Abertay’s governing body over the institution’s long-term plan. The 65-year-old claimed he was facing age discrimination and had lodged papers with an employment tribunal.
The highly contentious dispute saw a number of resignations from the university court. One of the public figures to step down, businessman Derek Douglas, had called for an independent inquiry into King’s suspension.
However, the university has today released a statement confirming King’s retirement and stating that all legal claims between the university and the former principal have been resolved.
The statement pays tribute to the former vice-chancellor for his "unique" contribution to the university over the last 19 years. Amongst his achievements for Abertay it lists welding, “a small Scottish university into a globally recognised centre of excellence in information technology, computer games, the creative media industries, mathematical modelling and visualisation of complex systems for environmental prediction and systems pathology enabling predictive treatments of certain cancers” and developing it to become the UK’s first National Centre of Excellence in computer gaming education and the UK hub for prototyping for the computer games industry. The University Court has renamed the library the Bernard King Library, “in recognition of its critical role in the creation of Dundee's Digital University”.
The full statement reads as follows:
The University of Abertay Dundee wishes to confirm the retirement of its Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bernard King CBE. The University is pleased to announce that all legal claims between the University and Professor King have been withdrawn and all outstanding issues between the two parties have been resolved. The University wishes to recognise Professor King's unique contribution to its development and success over his 19 years stewardship.
Professor King has been an outstanding Vice-Chancellor and Principal. He has welded a small Scottish university into a globally recognised centre of excellence in information technology, computer games, the creative media industries, mathematical modelling and visualisation of complex systems for environmental prediction and systems pathology enabling predictive treatments of certain cancers. In that context, Professor King has created Abertay as the UK's first National Centre of Excellence in computer gaming education and the UK hub for prototyping for the computer games industry. He has achieved national and international recognition for the University through receipt of the first BAFTA Ones to Watch award, created to encourage and reward innovation from emerging games designers and awarded annually to the winners of Abertay's innovative international computer games design competition, Dare to be Digital. Professor King has been a leader in the Scottish and UK Governments' desire to encourage ingenuity and brilliance and to capitalise on the knowledge transfer required for the development of the national economy.
In so doing, he has also created an institution which encompasses a wide range of disciplines including environmental science, business development including oil and gas, social and health sciences and contemporary sciences.
Professor King has been the UK's longest serving Principal and Vice-Chancellor and was instrumental in leading the transition of the Dundee Institute of Technology to university status. The University took justifiable pride in his election as Vice-Convenor and Convenor of Universities Scotland for the past five years, his Vice-Presidency of Universities UK and his election UK - wide to the Board of that organisation. Professor King also served on the Boards of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Tayside Primary Healthcare Trust, the Scottish Crops Research Institute, including five years as Chair, the Higher Education Academy, including chairing its Audit Committee, the Scottish Leadership Foundation, the University and Colleges Admissions Service, the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the executive of higher education think tank Million+, the Council for Industry and Higher Education and many others. He retains his Governorship of the "Unicorn" Preservation Society here in Dundee.
During his tenure, Professor King encouraged the transformation of the student experience through the creation of "White Space" - a multi-disciplinary learning environment to stimulate creative thinking and research. A new library, student centre, student village and the transformation of the Kydd Building to a studio based multidisciplinary environment testify to his vision for and determination to create, a physical environment attuned to needs of a university of the future.
Nor have his achievements been limited to the university's standing within Scotland. Developing Abertay's international reach has long been a priority. By building relationships with universities overseas including partnerships with Peking and Shanghai, two of China's leading universities, as well as universities in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria, Canada and the United States of America, Professor King has ensured Abertay's place on the world map. He is particularly proud that for many years Abertay was used as the model to study leadership and management of change by Vice-Chancellors of sub-Saharan African universities and that the Africa Union submission to the G8 at Gleneagles on higher education was prepared by a pan-African delegation working at Abertay.
Professor King leaves behind a university in good shape, attracting record numbers of student applications and well prepared for the inevitable challenges ahead. The University and Professor King are united in a joint desire to move forward in the interests of Abertay’s students and staff and to build on past successes, to the benefit of the city of Dundee and the wider community. The University wishes Professor King, who retires with the title of Emeritus Professor, all the best in his future endeavours.
As a tribute to Professor King's achievements, the Court of the University of Abertay Dundee is pleased to name the library the Bernard King Library in recognition of its critical role in the creation of Dundee's Digital University.
