Written by Gemma Bradshaw
An online celebration was held on Thursday 19th November to recognise colleagues who reached 25 or 40 years of service at City before the end of the 2019/20 academic year.
Professor Sir Paul Curran and members of the Executive Board gathered to celebrate and show appreciation to colleagues for their personal contribution to City.
The City Law School’s Lawrence Pickett, who celebrated 40 years at City this year, recalls a memory from before the Inns of Court School of Law (ICSL) link with City in 2001. He notes how the historic association between the Law School and overseas jurisdictions has flourished at City in recent years, which gives him great satisfaction both as a teacher and as someone who remembers a time when the link was almost lost. Lawrence comments:
“From 1989 to 1996 I headed the Bar Examination for non-intending practitioners in England and Wales. ICSL launched the BVC but as sole provider it was unable to accommodate such students, so the superseded Bar Examination was continued to meet overseas demand. Courses were available at non-validated institutions. In retrospect, it was not a happy solution, but it did help maintain valued overseas links.
“I gained much experience of exams, committee work and liaison with professional bodies, here and overseas, which proved valuable. With the advent of BVC validation, overseas students could join a BVC and the Bar Examination withered.”
Keith Wood, in City’s IT Department also celebrates 40 years at City. He commented:
“I guess there have been many achievements over the 40 years I’ve been at City, but without fear of retribution the proudest must be meeting my wife when she worked here in the 1990s.
“I have worked with so many people it would be impossible to name check them all, but special mention must go to Richard O’Connor who has put up with me for over 25 years and has made my time at City a really enjoyable experience.”
Waheeda Dhansey, in the School of Health Sciences, who celebrates 25 years at City said:
“Time seems to have flown by! I joined City hoping for it to be a small stopover before I moved onto a teaching profession, and here I am 25 years later! It has been an amazing journey at City full of learning, laughter, friendship and inspiration. I have worked, and continue to work with, some wonderful people.
“Working in the School of Health Sciences makes me feel so proud of our students, and for the small contribution I make in the bigger role they play in our healthcare service. Hoping that the learning, friendship, and laughter continues…”
Also recognised in this year’s cohort were:
- Marcus Soanes, City Law School, (25 years)
- Kanthasamy Kiritharan, Information Technology (25 years)
- Professor Lorenzo Strigini, School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, (25 years)
- Professor George Spanoudakis, School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, (25 years)
- Tracy Rowson, School of Health Sciences (25 years)
- Professor Charles Baden-Fuller, The Business School (25 years)