The Magazine for the University of Kent

Kent Magazine
Who’s what where
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Kent Magazine
Who’s what where
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Field
Work
The End
of Mr.Y
Michael Leahy
1934–2007
01. Bonobo
Kent PhD student
Inogwabini Bila-Isia
has just returned to
his native Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC)
after a brief visit to
Canterbury to catch up
with his supervisor,
Professor Nigel Leader-
Williams, Director of
the Durrell Institute
of Conservation and
Ecology (DICE). Bila,
who last year won
a UNESCO Young
Scientist of the Year
Award, is carrying out
research on a large and
recently discovered
population of pygmy
chimpanzees or bonobos
Pan paniscus.
After successfully
completing his MSc in
Conservation Biology,
for which he was
awarded the Maurice
Swingland Prize for
the best masters student
of the 1996/7 cohort,
he returned home to
work on conservation
projects for a range of
organisations on
species such as
elephants and bonobos.
However, he always
harboured ambitions
to undertake a PhD
on bonobos, which were
realised when he won
a Beinecke African
Scholarship from the
Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS) in 2004
and a Charlotte
Program Fellowship
from the African Wildlife
Foundation (AWF)
in 2006.
Bila’s passion for bonobos
arose from growing up
within the wide bend of
the Congo river, which is
the only place in Africa
where bonobos are found.
Bonobos are the most
recently discovered and
least known of the six
species of great ape,
all of which are listed
as critically endangered.
Therefore, since starting
his research in the Lac
Tumba landscape, it is
really heartening that
Bila has discovered the
largest population of
bonobos yet recorded,
comprising one quarter
to one third of the world’s
known population.
In Lac Tumba, bonobos
live at high densities
in swamp forest that
provides their favoured
fruits all year round.
Bonobos appear to have
highly evolved emotional
attributes and display
very specific behaviour
if one of their group dies.
Despite their name,
bonobos are far more
peaceful than the more
aggressive chimpanzee
and are predominantly
vegetarian. Indeed,
the bonobo is used as
a symbol of peace and
some indigenous groups
revere bonobos as
holding the spirits of
their ancestors. In turn,
the protection offered
by these indigenous
groups in the Lac Tumba
landscape has allowed
this large population of
bonobos to survive
outside the confines of
a strictly protected area,
such as a national park.
Bila fully recognises
the importance of the
training he is receiving
at DICE, and is
encouraging his
project staff to come for
postgraduate training,
in order to further build
conservation capacity in
DRC. As with the other
great apes, the future
for bonobos is uncertain.
But with Bila and the
local indigenous groups
with whom he is working
as their champions,
the Lac Tumba bonobos
have more than a
fighting chance.
Described as ‘a Foucault’s
Pendulum for the ipod
generation’ (Philadelphia
Enquirer), The End of
Mr. Y is the latest novel
by Scarlett Thomas, a
lecturer in the School
of English. The novel
features heroine Ariel
Manto, a lonely PhD
student who stumbles
across a rare novel in
a second-hand bookshop
and takes the reader
on a journey which
begins in Kent and
ends at the perimeter
of thought itself.
Scarlett describes her
novel as ‘a thought
experiment wrapped
in a contemporary
adventure novel that
asks questions about
thought, language,
destiny and the very
limits of being and time’.
The novel brings together
such diverse themes
as quantum physics,
post-structuralism,
homoeopathy,
evolutionary theory,
theology and the origins
of consciousness and
moves at such a pace it
is impossible to put down.
Kent alumni will
also notice distinct
similarities between
the university of The
End of Mr. Y and a
certain other campus
on a hill!
The End of Mr.Y is
published by Canongate
(UK) and Harcourt (US).
More information about
Scarlett Thomas is
available on the School
of English website at:
www.kent.ac.uk/english/
02. The End of Mr.Y
Dr Michael Leahy was
appointed Lecturer in
Philosophy at Kent in
1967, he was promoted
to Senior Lecturer in
1976 and was Faculty
Admissions Officer
from 1981 to 1985.
He took early retirement
in 1996 but returned to
the University on a
part-time basis as an
Administrator in the
International Office until
October 1999. Below we
print an appreciation of
Mike’s life from Robert
Cannon R66, a friend and
former student.
On Monday 21 May
2007 Michael Leahy
was buried in Chilham
churchyard. For at least
seven years Mike had
had a form of dementia
that saw his fine mind
and active, fit body slowly
close in on itself. It was
a terrible end for
someone who had been so
mentally and physically
alert. Mike was unusual
in his combination of
intellectual and sporting
excellence.
The latter was dominated
by cricket, which he
played for many years as
part of both University
and village teams.
In other areas too he was
full of life. His love and
understanding of music
was considerable, he
had a profound and
discerning taste that
ranged from Gregorian
chant to the avant
garde and included jazz
which he had learnt to
appreciate during his
lectureship in America.
No memory of him can
fail to recall his refined
and enthusiastic interest
in wine. To dine with
him and his wife Rosie
was always both a
gastronomic and bibulous
treat. His cellar was large
and wide in its scope and,
in the early days, he
made an important
contribution to the
University cellars.
But it is as a philosopher
– both teacher and
thinker – that he will
be most remembered
and sorely missed.
Like his music, wine and
sport, his interest was
wide ranging – rather
than merely eclectic.
His passion for the
pre-Socratics – above
all Parmenides – and
at the other end of the
chronological and
methodological scale,
Wittgenstein, was
perhaps most notable.
As a teacher he taught
not so much the facts of
the matter, although he
was an excellent guide,
but rather why these
writings and ideas were
so important. Above all
he showed his students
how to make use of
philosophy: how to look
past appearance and
probe the cogency and
validity of what one saw,
heard or was taught.
He was an inspiration;
in particular because
this serious concern was
so naturally accompanied
by humour, wit and a
wonderful sense of fun.
The life that he taught
one to illuminate with
philosophic application
was a life that was truly
worth the effort – full
of pleasure and humour,
the richness of the arts,
physical activity, the
joys of good food and
wine. Like Socrates’s
companions at the end
of the Phaedo, it is our
loss that we mourn on
his untimely death –
and our lives that will
remain enriched by the
memory of everything
witty, entertaining,
thoughtful and
instructive that he did.
03. Michael Leahy