A top leader in Suffolk’s Higher Education has expressed her pride at being awarded an honorary fellowship at the university she was instrumental in founding.
Christine Dobson was part of the team that established the University of Suffolk, previously known as University Campus Suffolk, having been principal of the East Anglian College of Radiography, and later assistant principal for Higher Education when the college merged with Suffolk College in 1992.
She led the development of the first BSc and MSc degrees in radiography in the country, and with the team of education professionals in Suffolk worked to establish the county’s first university after noticing a demand for an establishment.
“I am thrilled to be getting an honorary fellowship at the university,” she said.
“I was part of the team that developed it and it is with huge pride that I am here, not only receiving an honorary degree but also that it is from the University of Suffolk with all its degree awarding powers that makes it doubly pleasing.
“Suffolk was one of the only counties without a university and our young people deserved a university in their locality, so I feel quite proud to get to where we are today.”
As befitting her work in radiography, Ms Dobson was joined by the University of Suffolk’s radiography students and other health course graduates at the graduation ceremony this morning, held at the Ipswich Corn Exchange.
Ms Dobson described the university’s independence status in such a short amount of time as “amazing” and said she expects the university to go from strength to strength.
She also hailed the work of vice chancellor Richard Lister in making the university a success.
She added: “I think it is a volatile time – you have to see what comes out of Brexit and other decisions, but I hope that the funding for universities is secure so that we have an educated workforce for the future.”
On Tuesday, the university’s first graduates since becoming an independent establishment celebrated the occasion, where they were joined by dancing star Robin Windsor of Strictly Come Dancing fame, and journalist and broadcaster Bill Turnbull.
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