Professor Michael Thorne, Vice Chancellor, University of East London, UK

Professor Thorne has a first class honours degree in pure mathematics from the University of London and a PhD in computational group theory from the University of Birmingham. He held posts in University College London, Cardiff University, the University of Sunderland and Napier University Edinburgh before becoming Vice Chancellor of the University of East London in 2001. He is the author of a large number of books and academic papers and writes for newspapers and magazines and has written and presented numerous TV and radio programmes. Currently Professor Thorne is a Board member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, the Learning and Skills network, the Broadway Theatre and Newham College of Further Education. He is also very active as a musician and between 2001 and 2004 conducted Wagner's Ring Cycle in Edinburgh, followed by Tristan and Isolde in 2005.