Gillian Evans

Gillian R. Evans is a British philosopher, and emeritus professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at University of Cambridge.

Evans was educated at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, followed by a degree in history from St Anne's College, Oxford, and a postgraduate diploma in education. She earned her PhD from Reading University writing about Anselm of Canterbury.

In 2002, Evans was appointed professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at Cambridge University.

Academic Freedom and Democracy

Evans is a campaigner for academic freedom and democracy. She is a member of Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards and qualified as a barrister to assist academics with grievances against their institutions. She regularly writes and speaks in opposition to managerialist trends in university administration. As an Emeritus Professor, she has continued relentless scrutiny of the administration of the University of Cambridge, submitting forensic contributions to many University Discussions. In a July 2020 discussion she challenged the constitutionality of the response of the University Council to the COVID-19 pandemic arguing that the powers of the Regent House, the sovereign body of the University, "were simply seized and handed over indefinitely by the Council and the General Board".

Publications

• Alan of Lille: The Frontiers of Theology in the Later Twelfth Century (1983), Cambridge: Cambridge. ISBN 978-0521246187 .
• The University of Cambridge: A New History (published by I.B. Tauris)