天美传媒鈥檚 Faculty of Management is celebrating the success of its graduates during today鈥檚 graduation ceremony.
Almost 950 students will be walking across the stage to collect their awards as a part of the week-long celebrations.
BU also awarded two Honorary Doctorates to Sir Tim Smit, creator of the Eden Project, and Charles Hunter-Pease OBE, a prominent volunteer and board member of RNLI. Both Honorary Doctorate recipients addressed their fellow graduates with a speech to inspire them as they set out into the world of work.
Charles Hunter-Pease received a Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of his work, including his service to the RNLI, where he has served as Chair of the Board. Sir Tim Smit KBE received a Doctor of Education for his work on the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, while he is also a trustee of Dorset-based project Jurassica.
Sir Tim Smit said, 鈥淥f all the places I鈥檇 like to be today, I think here is amongst the best. Outside this wonderful building with these wonderful people are beautiful waves and sunshine with beautiful young people about to set out on their path to make their new career and actually they have every reason to feel excited about it and I always feel uplifted when I鈥檓 amongst young people.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more optimistic than seeing young people with a lot of optimism and hope going into the world and they are going to change it, so that鈥檚 good.鈥�
Fellow Honorary Doctorate recipient Charles Hunter-Pease OBE said, 鈥淚t feels completely surreal, it is funny to sit on the opposite side of the fence, I鈥檝e seen both my children get their degrees but I didn鈥檛 complete mine. To end up now at the age of nearly 70 getting mine is somewhat strange.
鈥淭here are so many links between the University and the RNLI. This is a modern university, thinking forward and making sure that people are ready to get a job in society.鈥�
Graduate Danielle Foster walked across the聽stage to collect her MSc Professional Development Human Resource degree having beaten adversity and spinal fusion surgery while completing her course.
Danielle completed her dissertation over FaceTime while recovering from surgery and was able to graduate alongside her cohort. Danielle said, 鈥淚 was 5 foot 4 inches when I completed my undergraduate degree and I鈥檓 5 foot 8 inches standing here today, so I鈥檝e grown four inches! I have walked across taller and straighter this time.
鈥淎 few months back I didn鈥檛 think I was ever going to get across the stage so it was amazing to graduate alongside my cohort, I was really good.鈥澛�
BU鈥檚 Graduation Ceremonies run from 8-11 November, with approximately 3,600 students set to graduate from the Faculties of Health & Social Sciences, Management, Media & Communication, and Science & Technology.
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney said: 鈥淎 big congratulations to all of our graduating students. I鈥檓 so proud of all of their achievements and it鈥檚 a fantastic day, both of celebration, and to reflect on their time at BU.鈥� 聽
