Aldwyn Cooper, 1949-2021

A pioneer in online education who became a visionary vice-chancellor has died.

Aldwyn Cooper was born in London in 1949 and educated at Dulwich College. He worked as a folk musician and as a junior engineer on the London Underground before going on to a degree in experimental psychology at the University of London (1968-71). He followed this up with a PhD on human memory at the University of Bristol (1971-74) and then secured a Harkness fellowship to continue his research in psychology at Stanford University and statistics at the University of California, Berkeley (1974-76).

While at Stanford, however, Professor Cooper decided to switch to the exciting new field of microcomputing and, on his return to the UK, joined The Open University as a senior lecturer (1976-80) and led the team there developing computer-based education. From there he moved on to a position as professor of management studies at what was then Henley Management College (1980-87), now part of the University of Reading, establishing the country’s first distance-learning MBA while also serving as an educational adviser to Apple Computers. He would later carry out many consultancy assignments for the governments of Australia, China, Oman and Saudi Arabia as well as universities in Cyprus and Syria.

From 1987 to 1990, Professor Cooper was business group director of the Open College, a government initiative to develop a national distance-learning network for vocational training delivered through television programmes as well as further education colleges. He then became a partner in Meyer Consulting (1990-93), offering guidance on educational broadcasting, communications and e-business, and managing director of a television company called Workhouse (1993-99) before returning to the academy as professor and pro vice-chancellor at the University of Glamorgan (1999-2006), heading a major European Union-funded learning scheme for delivering entrepreneurial education.

At the end of 2006, Professor Cooper crowned his career by becoming chief executive and principal of what was then Regent’s College. Under his leadership, it was granted taught degree-awarding powers in 2012 and gained full university status – as Regent’s University London – the following year. The current chancellor, Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick, described him as “a bow-tie-wearing, flair-filled force for good” whose “natural optimism was radiant” and whose “determination to present a winning team was powerfully impactful”.

Although his later life was dogged by ill health, Professor Cooper was a man of many varied interests whose passions included cooking, cave diving and mountain climbing. He died of a heart attack on 3 February and is survived by his wife Rosalind, a son, two daughters and a grandchild.

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com