Honorary Graduates
Orations and responses
Response by Professor Julia Goodfellow
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, ladies and gentlemen: good afternoon.
First, it is an honour to be with you today, especially you the graduands and
your families. This clearly is a day to celebrate your success and endeavour and
commitment. You have shown that you can succeed at a very high level of academic
activity. Your range of activity is equally impressive. However, a warning from
the late 19th century, also an era of great change: The man who
graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after.
However, on a more positive note, surveys and research show that as graduates
you are likely to earn more money than those who have not had the privilege of
higher education and also, I understand, in the UK less likely to go to prison,
so there is hope for you!
Next I wish to thank the University for nominating me for an Honorary Degree.
I am indeed honoured. Thank you. And also to the Orator - I didn’t recognise
myself. Universities like the University of Essex, one of the so-called 94
Group, are the backbone of our university system in the UK. I would like to
emphasise that the universities in the UK are very good – they are excellent.
Universities like Essex form a core of excellence in both teaching and research.
More recently they have also developed successful interactions with Industry,
with the so-called "third strand" activity and as the recent Lambert Review to
the Treasury has made clear they can indeed be a place of light, of liberty and
of learning, as I’m sure you have discovered. When you get to my age, this sort
of occasion causes you to ask yourself what enabled you to proceed in your
chosen career. Do not worry, I am not going to reminisce for too long. I’ve been
told quite firmly that I only have a few minutes to address you. In my case, it
was high-quality, state-funded education; first at a Grammar school, followed by
high-quality, state-funded education at university. I benefited from what was
surely a golden age in education in the UK and I sincerely hope we can weather
the current, very public debate about funding for both teaching and research in
our universities in the UK, so that many can benefit from the advantages of
higher education and research training. From this start I have followed a career
that has allowed me to enjoy my work. I am sure many of you have found the same
excitement and enjoyment in the research projects that you have undertaken
during your recent studies. Do beware! In my case this excitement was addictive
and I stayed in academia to follow up my interests in science for many, many
years. It was really only in the last two years that I have got what my father
considers "a proper job".
So finally, congratulations again to all of you who have graduated today and
sincere thanks to all at the University who invited me to share this special
occasion with you.
Julia Goodfellow
1 April 2004