Honorary Graduates

Orations and responses

Response by Patricia Hodgson

Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished guests.  This is an extraordinarily moving occasion - thank you very much for those gracious words.  It’s rather like having the privilege of hearing ones’ own funeral oration only from a rather more comfortable situation, but only just given the accident on the stairs this morning!  My pleasure in this honour is increased by three special affinities with the University which have been mentioned.  First, I’m an Essex Girl and proud of it.  Especially of the independence that’s gone with the breed since Bodicea’s days.  Regulators need independence from Government, as well as from their constituents.  So I particularly value the work done here by your Department of Government - the best in the country.  And, as we heard that’s a fact, not a compliment.  Understanding of Government and Politics and long-term trend research helps us to put daily politics in perspective and even sometimes to rise above it.  Second, I was the first in my family to go to university.  In the sixties, access to universities was limited and new foundations like Essex were just beginning to open up wider opportunities.  It was very important.  And third, my early career was devoted to the Open University and the idea of the second chance in education.  More than 20% of Essex students are over 21 - mature students.  They are getting a second chance.  They bring experience and maturity to the student body and change their own lives through the opportunities that you give them here.

As I said, university education was much less common in my generation and many of us remember not what we were doing when President Kennedy was shot, but the moment we received our university offer.  I remember it well.  And like the Kennedy example, it reveals my age - it was in the days of telegrams - certainly a long time ago in communications.  And local operators who would ring you up and read them out to you.  “What does it mean?”, I said in bewilderment.  “Well, I think they are offering you a place at university” said the Operator.  I burst into tears.  Tears of apprehension.  I thought I couldn’t possibly mix with the ‘toffs’ at university.  There was of course, no problem. Universities deal in ideas - a universal currency that overcomes class, gender and race.  It’s a particular privilege to share this ceremony with Cyril Ndebele who understands this currency so well. 

Six weeks ago I spent a long weekend in another area of conflict, Albania.  We were there to bring support and encouragement to one of George’s pupils, a boy who smuggled himself into England and spent eighteen months at George’s school.  Last Christmas, two things happened in the same week.  Ledio won a place at Oxford and was deported.  He continued his tutition by mobile phone and last month sat his A-levels at the British Council in Tirana.  Of course, we don’t know the end of this story, it’s pretty hard studying without books, or the company of others to help you.  Both by the way, definitions of a university. 

Fortunately, not many students today face such high hurdles but there are enough.  The lack of ambition in some schools, the costs of higher education today, and some students do still have to chose between books and food and, the problem I experienced of thinking that university wasn’t for people like me.  Of course, the reverse is true.  For me, university switched on the lights in the world, gave me the opportunity to do the things that you’ve heard about, but above all, to pursue ideas and to connect with others who also believe we must develop knowledge and share our ideas as the best guide to life.  The sharing of new ideas has been at the heart of your department of Government’s development since its foundation - the year before I went to university.  The Department is committed to academic rigour but not to any one view or perspective and as such its reputation as a centre of excellence is global.  The Vice-Chancellor and his colleagues have something to say to all of us, whether we study or practice politics, or simply have a passing interest in the outcome of elections.  As we heard, Essex also prides itself on IT and being at the forefront of new technology - an important dimension in tracking public opinion.  So I think I had better end with a cautionary tale about IT.  It’s an exchange of insults between Bill Gates and General Motors.

Bill Gates (and I can’t do the accent I’m afraid!):  If General Motors had kept up with technology as the Computer industry had done, we’d all be driving $25 cars and getting a thousand miles to the gallon.

General Motors:  If cars were like computers they’d work as follows.  Every time you buy a new one you have to learn to drive all over again.  Sometimes on turning left, your power will shut down and refuse to start until you reinstall the engine.  For no reason at all, your car will crash twice a day and when that happens your air bag system will say ‘are you sure’ before going off.

I thank you all for letting me join you today though you have worked for your degree and I have not. May I end by wishing you well. Ideas are the passport to life. This University has given you your passport and now it’s up to you to make the journey. Good Luck.