Education
He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1970 having studied Classics.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Stuart Laing
Edit ProfileCareer
He entered the diplomatic service in 1970. During his service in the Diplomatic Service, Laing held the following offices:
Deputy Ambassador to the Czechoslovakian Republic—1989-1992
Deputy Ambassador to Saudi Arabia—1992-1995
High Commissioner to Brunei—1998-2002
Ambassador to Oman—2002-2005
Ambassador to Kuwait—2005-2008
He was appointed Master of his old college Corpus Christi on the 1 October 2008 succeeding Oliver Rackham. He researches and writes on Arab and East African history and in 2012 he published, jointly with Robert Alston, Unshook till the end of time, a book on the history of Britain’s relationship with Oman.
The degree of Master of Philisophy was conferred to him in 2013 for a thesis on the political history of Oman.
Laing is a keen amateur musician. He plays keyboard instruments and the oboe.
His other recreations are desert travel and hill-walking. Laing found himself under a shroud of controversy in late February 2011 when accompanying a trade delegation to the Middle East, led by the British Prime Minister David Cameron, that contained several delegates from United Kingdom defence companies including British Aerospace Systems and Thales Group.
Laing attended in his official capacity as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University along with the heads of other British universities such as Imperial College London and University College London.
Objections were raised that, as such weapons and devices of public order control had recently been used by the governments of Egypt and Libya, it was irresponsible for the University to be involved in such a trip.
