In memory of Arlene Gilpin
(April 30th, 1942 – Sept 8th, 2017)
My mother, Arlene Gilpin, nee Moscrop, was born in Allendale on April 30, 1942, daughter of Bobby and Dot and sister to Wally, Frank, Anne, Wendy, Elsie, Richard, and David. She grew up in Croglin, Cumbria, and attended the White House school before teacher training college in Sheffield. She went on to influence generations of teachers throughout the world through her international career specialising in teacher education, learning and assessment. After teaching English in Spain and Africa, she worked at the British Council in Singapore before gaining her MA in Linguistics at the University of Lancaster. She then joined Bristol University’s School of Education where, among other things, she designed and set up the MA in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) at the Graduate School of Education where she was a senior lecturer and then, after she retired, a Research Fellow.
Arlene’s daughter, Emma Gilpin
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Arlene is in the roots of Tuning. She was there from the very start animating the initial Education group; a group which was fresh, innovative and wonderfully critical. Her moral authority was felt when she was not the coordinator and when she was fulfilling this task. She was always there; creative, full of resources and initiative. Nothing was indifferent for her; all had an educational angle. She was always there; cooperative, helpful, and committed. Her passion for education was visible and undeniable: looking at her, one got the impression that she was constantly creating things, living them for the first time. Some of us had the privilege of sharing with her for all those years. Until the last trip, illness could not destroy the truth of her commitment and her passion for those who follow behind and her dedication to the human being. Thank you Arlene, you left us a clear mark and Tuning owes you important signs of identity.
Julia Maria González, President of Education for an Interdependent World, General Secretary of the Teresian Association and Tuning Senior Expert
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There are many reasons for the Tuning Family and the global higher education sector to be grateful to Arlene for her exceptional commitment and contribution towards our shared mission to offer the best possible higher education to a new generation of students.
Robert Wagenaar, International Director of the Tuning Academy in Groningen
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Arlene’s exceptional commitment and contribution towards Tuning-shared mission has been an essential part of many projects in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Russia, India, and China. She was also known in her professional life for her pragmatic approach and her ability to bring together theory and practice, generate ideas and inspire changes in higher education.
From the Tuning Academy website: http://news.tuningacademy.org/