Market research pioneer named Chancellor's Lecturer
LAWRENCE — British political commentator and market research pioneer Sir Robert Worcester has been named Chancellor's Lecturer and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little announced today.
"Sir Robert is an excellent role model for students in a range of academic disciplines. He is an author, scholar, researcher and businessman, and I'm excited he'll be able to share his insights with the leaders we're educating here at KU," Gray-Little said.
Worcester, a University of Kansas graduate who currently serves as chancellor of the University of Kent, will visit KU on Nov. 29 to deliver a series of lectures.
During the day Sir Robert will speak to students in business, political science, history and journalism on topics including his experience of starting a business, the re-election of President Barack Obama and how candidates and parties interact with the media today.
At 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics Worcester will deliver a lecture titled "The Relevance of the Magna Carta to the 21st Century," which is related to his role as chairman of the Magna Carta 2015 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee. The event is free and open to the public.
Worcester founded Market & Opinion Research International (MORI) in London in 1969. In 2005, he was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of the "outstanding services rendered to political, social and economic research and for contribution to government policy and programmes."
A native of Kansas City, Worcester graduated from KU in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in business. In 2005, he endowed a distinguished professorship in the Department of Political Science. Robert Rohrschneider, an internationally acclaimed scholar with special expertise in the European Union, is the first Sir Robert Worcester Distinguished Professor in Public Opinion and Survey Research.
Worcester is the second Chancellor's Lecturer. The first was Takao Shibata, formerly the Consul General of Japan.