US over-reacted to 9/11 attacks: New Oxford University chief

The newly appointed first female vice-chancellor of Oxford University Louise Richardson who is also an expert on terrorism also said the British population was far more resilient than the Americans.

“Central to any terrorism campaign should be a resilient population and, I have to say, the British population in the course of the Troubles and violence in Northern Ireland proved really quite resilient. Far more so than the United States,” Louise, 56, said during a panel discussion on universities and extremism hosted by the British Council.

“And the scale of the reaction - I would say over-reaction - in the United States to the 9/11 atrocity 

was reflective of the fact that it was such a new experience for the US,” she said.

Louise is currently vice-chancellor of <g data-gr-id="29">University</g> of St Andrews and is due to take the helm at Oxford in January.

“The fact is there are very few terrorists and if you try to explain young people joining <g data-gr-id="28">terrorism</g> groups by attributing it to the alienation of young people, it is simply not very satisfying as there are infinitely more alienated young people than there are terrorists,” she added.

Noting that universities had always attracted young men drawn to extreme or radical ideas, she said the education was the best antidote to radicalisation, which relied on a binary world view.

“Any terrorist I have ever met through my academic work had a highly <g data-gr-id="23">over simplified</g> view of the world, which they saw in black and white terms,” Louise said.

“Education robs you of that simplification and certitude. Education is the best possible antidote to radicalisation,” she added.