Professor Barry Bergdoll, Chief Curator of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, has been named as the History of Art Faculty’s Slade professor this term, whilst the Department of Architecture will be simultaneously welcoming eminent architect Spencer de Grey as the first Visiting Professor of Design.

The high-profile appointments are being seen as a spirited determination amongst arts faculties to remain as competitive educational institutions despite education cuts.

“The prominence of such visiting professors is an increasingly important aspect to counteract the current recession and constraints on arts and humanities subjects,” Koen Stammers, Head of the Department of Architecture, explained to Varsity.

“Highly experienced and internationally acclaimed individuals are the ‘icing on the cake’, but critically, they provide stimulation, guidance and practice-based expertise to students as well as staff.”

Meanwhile, the Department of History of Art has fought to retain the honorary post of Slade Professor of Fine Art, which it has bestowed since 1962. The Vice Chancellor will introduce the first of the Slade Lectures on Monday 24 January in a supportive move that will seem reassuring to the wounded Cambridge arts faculties.

However, the History of Art Faculty is keen to involve the entire University community in this artistic achievement: Bergdoll’s entire lecture series on architecture exhibitions will be open for anyone to attend.