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Well, my name is Helen Higson.
I'm Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Aston University
and I'm a professor in the Business School, Professor of
Higher Education Learning & Management. I've been at the University a very long time - 28 years.
An academic institution - you have these degree ceremonies every year.
You see these important people being honoured and
you never expect that someone will do it for you.
When I was told that I was being nominated as
a Fellow of BMet, I was just absolutely amazed.
I read the letter twice. I showed it to my secretary who actually is a graduate of
Birmingham Metropolitan College. We had a laugh, we had a giggle. I was very happy.
My links with BMet have been for a very long time
but the main thing that I've been responsible for doing - and
I think I'm probably the most proud of -
is inventing a new degree. A Foundation Degree
for people who hadn't had an opportunity to study degree level before.
And I've worked with Birmingham Metropolitan on this because they're very good at these sorts of things,
they're very good at supporting people who've been out of learning for a while,
people who are learning while they're at work. And many of the people who are on this degree
are our colleagues at the college, at the University and at
other education establishments in the city.
I'm really proud of them. Probably one for most things
that I'm most proud of, in the whole of my life.