David Hopkins

David Hopkins

About David Hopkins

David Hopkins is Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University of London; where until recently, he held the inaugural HSBC iNet Chair in International Leadership. Between 2002 and 2005 he served three Secretary of States as the Chief Adviser on School Standards at the Department for Education and Skills. David is also an International Mountain Guide who still climbs regularly in the Alps and Himalayas.
Read David's CV.

Mountaineering

Recall the Epicoun:
Night, welling up so soon,
Mere sank us in soft snow.
At the stiff frozen dawn,
When time had ceased to flow
- The glacier ledge our unmade bed -
I hear you through your yawn:
'Leaping crevasses in the dark,
That’s how to live!' you said.
No room in that to hedge:
A razor's edge of a remark.

I A Richards (from 'Hope')

Mountaineering is a passion of mine and I have been an active rock climber, alpinist and skier since the late 1960's. During that time I have led twelve expeditions to the world’s great mountain ranges. I was one of the ten British Mountain Guides to first receive the International Mountain Guides (UIAGM) carnet in 1978, and was the inaugural Chair of the Mountain Guides Professional Standards Committee. In recent years, I have led a number of expeditions to Nepal in support of charities for those with disabilities. Amongst these was the MacIntyre 'An Everest to Climb' expedition where four mentally disabled mountaineers, together with MacIntyre’s Patron The Duchess of York, reached the summit of Pokalde (5800m). Most recently, in April 2004 I guided a group from MacIntyre to the North Col of Everest (7033m).