Who is The Chair of Indefinite Studies from The Last Continent: A Discworld Novel and what is their importance?

The chair of indefinite studies is one of the faculty members of Unseen University (UU) who in their search for colleague Rincewind enter a tropical island thousands of years in the past and make their way to the last continent of Fourecks. The unnamed Chair of Indefinite Studies recalls reading a book about someone who is shipwrecked on an island. He contributes to the general squabbling among the colleagues but does not particularly stand out.