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Brian Andrew Lang CBE FRSE (born 2 December 1945) is a Scottish social anthropologist who served as deputy chairman of the British Library and Principal of the University of St Andrews.
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Lang was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh where he studied social anthropology, graduating MA in 1968, and PhD in 1974. He lectured in social anthropology for some years at Aarhus University, Denmark. Returning to the United Kingdom, he joined the scientific staff of the Social Science Research Council, where he was latterly Principal Scientific Officer.
In 1979 and 1980 he was head of the Historic Buildings Branch of the Scottish Development Department, and from 1980 to 1987, was Director of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, based in London.
After this, he spent four years as Director of Public Affairs for the National Trust, before his appointment as Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of the British Library from 1991 until 2000. During this period, the British Library made the delayed and over-budget move into its new building at St Pancras.
Lang is a trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund, a member of the Cultural Commission and was appointed in August 2008 as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts, heritage, and education.
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At St Andrews
Lang succeeded Struther Arnott as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in January 2001. During his first year at St Andrews, Lang was accused of sexual harassment by a member of the University's administrative staff. Shortly before the start of the resulting employment tribunal, Lang made an out of court settlement with his accuser.
At an unrelated employment tribunal in 2004, Lang drew on his background in social anthropology to compare an academic department at St Andrews to the Ik tribe of Uganda, who, he said, were noted for their "dishonesty, lying and cheating". (This view of the Ik, due to Colin Turnbull, has been repeatedly criticized.)
Lang was accused of hypocrisy by the St Andrews student newspaper The Saint for promoting the University's environmental policy by asking other members of the university not to use cars, while continuing to use his Jaguar to make the 1.1 mile journey to his office.
On 9 March 2006 it was announced that he was to be inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Lang, upon retirement as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, was succeeded by Louise Richardson. He demited office on 31 December 2008.