A Tribute from Professor Laurence Solkin, Former Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences
City University of London
As I come towards the end of what has been a very happy, if not entirely successful, academic career, I find it helpful to reflect on some of the influences which have made it firstly possible, then survivable, and ultimately, enjoyable. Most significant of these is, of course, the inspiration provided by my research supervisor, Laurie Thomas.
There is not enough time or space to list all of the debts to which I owe Laurie, so I would like to focus on just three aspects of his influence.
Laurie as a scholar.
It is to Laurie that I owe the idea of the learner as an actor, and not as a passive subject. The organiser of learning, not the recipient, actively involved in a process he described as a learning conversation. This has always influenced me as a teacher, and it continues to be important as I manage those charged with teaching others.
Laurie as a teacher.
Laurie helped me to shape and support learning, without seeking to direct or control. As a supervisor, he supported the idea of being allowed to make mistakes, to leave things to one side and come back when you are ready. I spent a lot of time not being ready, but when I was, he was able to help me construct a thesis and obtain my doctorate.
Finally Laurie as a human being.
Laurie embodied the freedom to learn and accepted its consequences, his work was not always valued or recognized within the institution, but he was never bitter, always open and always there for others. As doctoral researchers he always saw the potential in us, even when we quite obviously failed to provide any positive evidence.
He was in so many ways the best of us.
Finally, perhaps, as I move towards retirement, I intend to write something which may be deemed worthy enough to contribute to the legacy of his conversational science and Self Organised Learning (watch this space)