Keith Robbins


Keith Gilbert Robbins was a British historian and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, Lampeter. Robbins was educated at Bristol Grammar School, and Magdalen and St Antony’s Colleges, Oxford.
His academic career began in 1963 as Assistant Lecturer in History at the University of York where he subsequently became Lecturer. He moved to the University College of North Wales, Bangor, in 1971, as Professor of History and was later appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts. In 1980 he moved to the University of Glasgow as Professor of Modern History.
His final academic post was as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, Lampeter, between 1992 until 2003, when he was succeeded by Professor Robert A Pearce. During his time as Vice-Chancellor at Lampeter, he also served as Senior Vice-Chancellor of the federal University of Wales between 1995 and 2001. He was also a Welsh Supernumerary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, for the academic years 1996/7 and 2002/3.
In 2005 the University of Wales awarded Robbins an honorary degree of DLitt in recognition of his years of service to University of Wales institutions and the field of history.
He was President of the Ecclesiastical History Society. He was also a Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and a Member of its inaugural Council.
He died on 12 September 2019 at the age of 79.

Summary of life

Education

Bristol Grammar School, 1949-58:
State Scholarship 1957:
Demy of Magdalen College, Oxford, 1958-61:
Gladstone Memorial Prize 1960
Prox. acc. Gibbs Scholarship 1960
First Class, Modern History, 1961
Senior Scholar, St. Antony's College, Oxford, 1961-63

Academic career

Assistant Lecturer/Lecturer, University of York, 1963-71
Professor and Head of Department of History, University College of North Wales, Bangor, 1971-1979:
Professor of Modern History, University of Glasgow, 1980-91
Vice-Chancellor, University of Wales, Lampeter, Januaruy 1992- September 2003
Senior Vice-Chancellor, University of Wales, 1 September 1995-31 August 2001
Inaugurating Chairman Cttee. of Heads of Higher Education, Wales 1996-1998
Chairman, Higher Education Wales Charitable Trust 1996-1998
Special Visiting Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, July-August 1983
Visiting Professor, University of Constantine, Algeria, February 1984
Fred Alexander Fellow, Department of History, University of Western Australia, July-August 1995

Degrees

B.A. ; M.A. ; D.Phil. Oxford;
D.Litt. Glasgow.
Hon.D.Litt. West of England
Hon.D.Litt, Wales

Fellowships

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Hon. Fellow in European History, University of Nanjing, China
Hon. Fellow, University of Wales, Lampeter
Fellow of the Historical Association.
Hon. Fellow, Bangor University
Founding Fellow, Learned Society of Wales Council

Professional bodies

Member of Council and a Vice President, Historical Association, 1976-; President, Historical Association 1988-1991
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society 1970; Member of Council of the Royal Historical Society 1980-1983; a Vice-President 1984-1988
President of the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1980-1981
Former Member, Scottish Records Advisory Council
D.E.S. Postgraduate Awards Panel, 1974-1976; Chairman 1976
President, Welsh Religious History Society 1993-2000
Humanities Research Board, British Academy 1994-1997; Chairman of its Research Committee, 1995-1997
Board of Management, Arts and Humanities Research Board 1998-2003

Works

Editor

Editor, History
Editorial Board, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 1978-1993
Editorial Board, Journal of Indian History 1985
Publications Committee, latterly Chairman, Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978-1983
Publications Committee, Royal Historical Society, 1980-1985
Editorial Board, National Identities 1998-2008

Author