77 days to go

I spent most of the day in Glasgow University, first of all to open the first World Congress of Scottish Literatures, my speech from which is here , then to have a brief lunch meeting with the Principal and finally to co-chair the Universities Strategic Forum.

This is graduation season, of course, and the place was full of excited and pleased new graduates in their robes and hoods accompanied by their families and friends. It was great to feel the strength of celebration and the palpable sense of starting on a new adventure with something significant achieved.

On my way home I managed to get half an hour with Professor Mike Shaner from St Louis University, who is at another summer school within the University and with whom I go back ( he reminded me) 27 years to the time when he tried to help me become a better manager of Network Scotland. I learnt a lot from him, much of which I still use everyday and that I suppose is the real success of a teacher,

Thanks.