Reader in Tectonic Geology from 1984 to 2003. He was a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge from 1950–84 and Life Fellow from 1984-2003. Conscientious objection/China Harland was a conscientious objector during the Second World War. After working on a farm near Scarborough, he spent 1942 to 1946 with the Friends Service Council in West China Union University, Chengdu, later Chengdu University of Technology, where he ran a Department of Geology. During this time, he spent two summers at the Bailie School in Shandan, North West China, advising the industrial co-operative there on natural resources. After the thaw in relations with China, following the Cultural Revolution, he renewed his relationship with what had become Chengdu University of Technology, and became a visiting professor. Friendship with Joseph Needham He maintained a lifelong friendship with Joseph Needham, from his time as a student at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge when he invited the geochemist (already a college Fellow of 11 years standing) to address the College's Natural Science Club. They met again in China during 1942 to 1946 when they were both based in Sechwan, later Sichwan. . After the war they both returned to Cambridge where Needham became the leading scholar of the history of Chinese science. Harland became a founder trustee of the Needham Research Institute and "gave" Needham's eulogy at his memorial service. Work Fieldwork Field education was of utmost importance to Harland who saw it as a vital part of a university education in geological sciences. He was particularly associated with training first year students in the varied geology of the Isle of Arran. He pioneered the incorporation of fieldwork as a regular part of the Cambridge curriculum: and from 1952 for more than 30 years, led some 2000 students, on Arran fieldtrips. Here young scientists were trained to look at rocks in situ and make simple observations, and then to argue about what they saw ignoring all preconceptions. Before this time field trips had been run by the Sedgwick Club, an undergraduate society. On Cambridge Spitsbergen Expeditions well over 300 members of University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences had further training in field skills: making empirical observations and collecting specimens and data. Arctic Geology and Cambridge Spitsbergen Expeditions Harland was continuously involved with Arctic geological exploration and research. He first went to Spitsbergen in 1938 as part of a six-man geographical expedition. Spitsbergen is the