I formed the picture in my mind of an ideal student who was in many ways like me when I started out. When I set up Pathways to Philosophy my ideal student was an enthusiast, someone who was prepared to go out on a limb rather than play it safe. The students I taught in the Department rarely took risks. The lecturers I knew wanted to get their work published, so they weren't too keen on taking risks either. I didn't see anything wrong, initially, in promoting Pathways in competition with the Society.
Competition is a spur to progress.
But it was inevitable that we would team up, our interests were so compatible. So they made me Director of Studies. It is still early days. To date, Pathways has enrolled students from 23 countries. I would love to see Philosophical Society mentors all over the world.