Stuart Laing (diplomat)

Stuart Laing (born 22 July 1948)[1] was a British diplomat, and is now Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1970 having studied Classics.[2] He entered the diplomatic service in 1970. During his service in the Diplomatic Service, Laing held the following offices:[1]

He was appointed Master of his old college Corpus Christi on the 1 October 2008 succeeding Oliver Rackham.[3] He researches and writes on Arab and East African history and in 2012 he published, jointly with Robert Alston, Unshook till the end of time, a book on the history of Britain’s relationship with Oman.[4] The degree of M.Phil. was conferred to him in 2013[5] for a thesis on the political history of Oman.[6] Laing is a keen amateur musician; he plays keyboard instruments and the oboe. His other recreations are desert travel and hill-walking.[7] Laing is married to Sibella (daughter of Sir Maurice Henry Dorman, herself a graduate in History of Newnham College, Cambridge) and has a son and two daughters.[8]

Laing found himself under a shroud of controversy in late February 2011 when accompanying a trade delegation to the Middle East, led by the British Prime Minister David Cameron, that contained several delegates from UK defence companies including BAE Systems and Thales Group.[9] Laing attended in his official capacity as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University along with the heads of other British universities such as Imperial College London and University College London.[10] Objections were raised that, as such weapons and devices of public order control had recently been used by the governments of Egypt and Libya, it was irresponsible for the University to be involved in such a trip.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/press-release/2005/05/fco_npr_290405_changhcommkuwait
  2. http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/press/dpp/2008060506
  3. http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/article/default.aspx?objid=47830
  4. Unshook till the end of time : a history of relations between Britain & Oman, 1650-1970 / Robert Alston and Stuart Laing. London : Gilgamesh Publishing, 2012.
  5. Cambridge University Reporter No 6307, Vol cxliii No 30 (15 May 2013)
  6. Factors in the decisions by the sultans of Muscat and Zanzibar to end the slave trade and slavery in their dominions, 1820-1900 / Stuart Laing : University of Cambridge. Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 2012.
  7. http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/fellowship/master/
  8. http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/oldmembers/news.php?newid=144
  9. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/21/cameron-cairo-visit-defence-trade
  10. http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/22823/full_list_of_business_contractors_on_pms_tour_of_middle_east.html
  11. http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/download/TCS_Volume12_Lent_Issue6.pdf
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Sir Ivan Callan
High Commissioner to Brunei
1998-2002
Succeeded by
Andrew Caie
Preceded by
Sir Ivan Callan
Ambassador to Oman
2002–2005
Succeeded by
Dr Noel Guckian
Preceded by
Chris Wilton
Ambassador to Kuwait
2005–2008
Succeeded by
Michael Aron


Academic offices
Preceded by
Oliver Rackham
Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
2008-present
Succeeded by
Incumbent


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