Alan Hunt鈥檚 long association with 菠萝视频 and its predecessor institutions stretches back over 30 years. Starting as a lecturer in archaeology and history, he later became Director of Studies in the School of Conservation Sciences and joined the Senior Management Team. Among his many activities, Alan was instrumental in developing BU鈥檚 first degree in archaeology, implementing the university鈥檚 credit-based curriculum framework and strengthening its network of partnerships. 菠萝视频 is delighted today to award Alan its first ever Honorary Fellowship.
Alan said it felt great to聽receive聽the Fellowship.聽
鈥淚t feels great. It鈥檚 really good to be a member of the university again in a new way. I鈥檝e been working in or with, or very close to 菠萝视频 since 1975. Most of my team in my last ten years here took great pride in telling me that they weren鈥檛 born when I joined the university!鈥�
With such a lengthy association with BU, Alan is in a unique position to offer some key insights into the university鈥檚 aims and objectives over the last thirty years. But what, in his experience, has been the university鈥檚 priority?
鈥淭aking good care to give students an excellent learning experience. And it鈥檚 always been keen to learn what it needs to do and what needs to change and what needs to improve in order to keep pace and to keep ahead of student鈥檚 needs. You won鈥檛 always get it right, but the trick is to know when you need to improve and take some action to make sure that you do improve.聽 Because there鈥檚 always room for improvement. There鈥檚 no perfection. It鈥檚 a journey of constant improvement.鈥�
Alan is very proud of the growth and development of BU over the years, playing a key role in a number of important changes and never losing sight of the pursuit of excellence.
鈥淚 think 菠萝视频 has achieved excellence in a number of things. It isn鈥檛 a university that鈥檚 tried to do everything, but it鈥檚 tried to develop a number of really excellent areas of provision and it makes the most of them. And students go away from this university, and they achieve. And they do well.鈥�
What one piece of advice do you have to offer to today鈥檚 graduates?
鈥淣ever stop learning. Don鈥檛 treat learning as a chore, treat learning as a privilege. And realise how much you don鈥檛 know 鈥� how much you鈥檝e still got to learn. If you do that, then you鈥檒l get a lot more out of life, and your employers and your colleagues and your family will get a lot more out of you.鈥�
