My father, Nicholas Bowen, who has died aged 70, spent his working life promoting academic excellence and internationalism, both as a principal lecturer in international business at Regent’s University, London, and as president of the Chartered Institute of Linguists from 2012.
Nick was the son of Stanley Bowen, a barrister, and his wife, Beryl (nee Bottrill), a home economics teacher. Born in Finchley, north London, Nick spent his childhood between the Isle of Wight, near his grandparents’ home, and the Middle East, where his father worked for British Petroleum. He attended Little Appley prep school, Ryde, and Lancing college, West Sussex.
Nick graduated in economics at the London School of Economics before going to the US in 1968 to study for his master’s at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania.
While there, through mutual friends he met Joan Schaeffer, who was studying at nearby Cedar Crest College. They married in 1971, and moved to Kent State University, Ohio, where Joan studied for her master’s and Nick taught economics, before starting his PhD at Cambridge.
His research on Anglo-American and Argentine relations led to short stays in Washington DC and Buenos Aires, and on their return to England in 1974 the couple settled in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, both taking up teaching jobs. Nick started at the Regent school of English before moving to the fledgling private college, the European Business School in London (now Regent’s University). For more than 30 years, he inspired thousands of students with his lectures on global politics and business and helped create a community spirit in the college through his warm, gentle humour.
One of his most notable achievements was travelling to eastern Europe months after the fall of the Berlin Wall to open up opportunities for a new generation of students, especially from Bulgaria. He also authored in 1979 a history of Canning House, home of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian councils, and co-authored International Business: Challenges and Choices (2013) with his colleague Alan Sitkin.
Nick was committed to building communities at work and at home. He was involved in the Chartered Institute of Linguists for more than 30 years and was made an honorary fellow in 1991. In Broxbourne he was a parent governor and a boys’ football coach for more than 15 years.
Throughout their marriage, Nick and Joan attached importance to education, empathy and laughter. Following his retirement in 2012, Nick continued to be involved in education, internationalism and community life, as a member of the European Government Business Relations Council, and campaigned in 2016 to stay in the EU.
Nick is survived by Joan, his three sons, Chris, Alex and me, his granddaughters, Eleanor and Amelia and his sister, Jane.
