Deian Hopkin

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Sir Deian Hopkin

| image =

| title = Vice-Chancellor of the
London South Bank University

| term_start = 2001

| term_end = 2009

| successor = Professor Martin Earwicker

| birth_name = Deian Rhys Hopkin

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|3|1}}

| birth_place = Llanelli, Wales

| alma_mater = Aberystwyth University

| residence = London, England

}}

Sir Deian Rhys Hopkin (born 1 March 1944) is an academic and historian, former vice chancellor and former President of the National Library of Wales. From 2013 to 2020, he served as Chair of Wales Remembers 1914-1918 and was expert adviser to the First Minister of Wales for the Centenary of the First World War.{{cite web|url=http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2012/120301firstworldwar/?lang=en |title=Expert advisor appointed to help Wales remember the First World War |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903094937/http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2012/120301firstworldwar/?lang=en |archivedate=3 September 2014 |df=dmy }} Hopkin was from 2001 until 2009 vice-chancellor and chief executive of London South Bank University, England. From 2011 to 2015, he was president of the National Library of Wales.{{cite web |url=http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=1514&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4560&cHash=639d1a2b2a9d506a6c0305edb8201569 |title=New President of the National Library of Wales appointed |publisher=National Library of Wales |date=3 November 2011 |accessdate=21 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507161919/http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=1514&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4560&cHash=639d1a2b2a9d506a6c0305edb8201569 |archivedate=7 May 2012 |df=dmy }} He is a historian, originally from Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker.

Early life and education

Born and educated in Llanelli, Deian Hopkin attended the first Welsh-medium school to be established by a local authority, followed by a scholarship to Llandovery College.{{cite web|url=https://www.llandoverycollege.com|title=llandoverycollege.com – CO-EDUCATIONAL DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 3 – 18}} He graduated in history at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth{{cite web|url=http://www.aber.ac.uk |title=Aberystwyth University – Home |publisher=Aber.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=21 February 2012}} where he also completed his PhD.

Career

After a brief period at Queen Mary College, London, he returned to the department of history at Aberystwyth, where he taught for 24 years and became head of department. For most of that time, he was also a tutor at the Open University and was seconded to the OU to develop new courses. In 1991, he was appointed dean of human sciences at City of London Polytechnic, which became, in 1992, London Guildhall University (now London Metropolitan University). He was promoted to vice-provost in 1996.

Hopkin has been actively involved in educational policy and, in particular, the skills agenda of the UK over a number of years. He was a council member of the City and Guilds of London Institute,{{cite web|url=http://www.cityandguilds.com/42631.html |title=The Council |publisher=City and Guilds of London Institute |accessdate=2 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729161725/http://www.cityandguilds.com/42631.html |archivedate=29 July 2012 |df=dmy }} and the Campaign for Learning.{{cite web |url=http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/trusteesandpatrons.asp |title=Trustees |publisher=Campaign for Learning |accessdate=31 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231045758/http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/trusteesandpatrons.asp |archivedate=31 December 2016 |df=dmy-all }} He was a patron of Hillcroft College for Women and was previously chairman-emeritus of the University Centre, Jersey; Highlands College. He was co-chair of the HE Progression Board for the Department for Children, Schools and Families{{cite web |url=http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?go=site.home&sid=48&pid=424&lid=461&l4id=161&ptype=Single&ctype=Text&prt |title=HE Engagement Progression Board Members at April 2010 |publisher=Department for Children, Schools and Families |archiveurl=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100910171507/http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?go=site.home&sid=48&pid=424&lid=461&l4id=161&ptype=Single&ctype=Text&prt |archivedate=10 September 2010}} and HE Champion for the 14–19 Diploma.{{cite web |url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/news/newsarchive/478575/ |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090809044150/http://www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/news/newsarchive/478575/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 August 2009 |title=Diploma champions to drive forward reform of the 14 -19 agenda |date=12 December 2006 |publisher=Government Office for the South West }}

He was for twenty years, until 2023, a trustee of the Council for At-Risk Academics (formerly CARA) of which he was vice-chairman and was until 2009 Chairman of the UNIAID Foundation, the national charity supporting students in financial difficulty which has now merged with the [https://www.thebrightsidetrust.org/ Brightside Trust].{{cite web |url=http://www.uniaid.org.uk/profile.asp?Id=40 |title= Professor Deian Hopkin (Chairman) |publisher=UNIAID |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815155526/http://www.uniaid.org.uk/profile.asp?Id=40 |archivedate=15 August 2007}}

Hopkin has published on Labour and press history and on the use of computers in history, and was co-founder of the Association for History and Computing and founding editor of Llafur, The Journal of Welsh People's History, of which he is now a vice-president.{{cite web |url=http://www.llafur.org/aboutus.htm |title=About Us |publisher=Llafur |accessdate=2 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225115801/http://www.llafur.org/aboutus.htm |archivedate=25 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }} He is a member of the Higher Education Commission.{{cite web| url=http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/hec/people | title=People | website=www.policyconnect.org.uk | location=UK | accessdate=11 January 2017 }}

He was a trustee of the Institute of Historical Research Development Trust, University of London, and was a member of the editorial advisory board of Times Higher Education. He is a judge of the annual Times Higher Awards. He has extensive broadcasting experience and was a member of the BBC General Advisory Council.

Hopkin is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Arts and is a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman and trustee of the Worshipful Company of Educators and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales Learned Society of Wales. He has been elected an honorary Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, has an honorary D.Litt. from Glamorgan University,{{cite web |url=http://profile.glam.ac.uk/awards/honorary/2008/ |title=Honorary Awards 2008 |publisher=University of Glamorgan |accessdate=21 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428234321/http://profile.glam.ac.uk/awards/honorary/2008/ |archive-date=28 April 2013 |url-status=dead }} an honorary LL.D. from McGill University, Montreal, Canada{{cite journal|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/files/conted/BRIDGE_Spring2010.pdf |title=Leading British educator, lifelong learner admires McGill |journal=The Bridge |date=Spring 2010 |page=1 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019014004/http://www.mcgill.ca/files/conted/BRIDGE_Spring2010.pdf |archivedate=19 October 2012 |df=dmy }} and an honorary D.Univ. from the Open University.{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newyddion/18039584 |title=Gradd arall i Syr Deian Hopkin |work=Newyddion |publisher=BBC |date=12 May 2012 |language=Welsh}}

In November 2017 he was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by the University of London.{{cite web|url=https://london.ac.uk/|title = university-london-confers-highest-honours-exceptional-individuals| publisher=University of London |date=27 November 2017 }} He is also an honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and has been awarded a Fellowship of the City and Guilds of London Institute. He was knighted in the 2009 Birthday Honours for services to higher education and skills.{{London Gazette |issue=59090 |date=13 June 2009 |page=1 |supp=y }} In 2019, he was awarded the First Minister of Wales' Special Award at the annual St David Award. In 2022 he was elected President of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion [https://www.cymmrodorion.org]

In 2009, Hopkin was appointed interim vice-chancellor of the University of East London and in 2010 was appointed interim chair of the Student Loans Company.{{cite news |last=Newman |first=Melanie |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=408421 |title=Once more unto the breach... |work=Times Higher Education |date=25 September 2009 |accessdate=21 February 2012}} In 2017 he was a founding partner of executive search company, [https://andersonquigley.com Anderson Quigley, and from 2020-23 a Principal Advisor at [https://wellsadvisory.co Wells Advisory] of Melbourne.

Selected publications

Denley, Peter, Deian Hopkin. History and Computing. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1987. {{ISBN|0719024846}}
Hopkin, Deian, Tanner, Duncan and Williams, Chris. The Labour Party in Wales: 1900–2000. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2001. {{ISBN|0708317197}}
Hopkin, Deian. The role of universities in the modern economy = Swyddogaeth prifysgolion yn yr economi fodern. Cardiff: Welsh Academic Press, 2002. {{ISBN|1860570763}}