Our new School of Liberal Arts enjoyed a spectacular launch event to celebrate its opening of at the end of February. Our students, their families and academic staff were able to come together in fellowship at the start, rather than at the end, of their course of study to celebrate the significant achievement of those who had been awarded UOW Ramsay Scholarships.

As launch events go this was on another level. The University chose a beautiful setting and created the perfect atmosphere on the night: the choice of food, the music, and all the other crucial behind-the-scenes, attention-to-detail touches, resulted in a seamlessly enjoyable and superbly delightful evening for all. We owe great thanks to the professional support staff for their incredible work in putting together and pulling it off so beautifully. There was a star-studded cast of speakers and supporters, which included not only distinguished members of our University’s senior executive and the Ramsay Centre Board but also the Chairman of Ramsay Board, John Howard, OM, AC, Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister, and our University’s own, formidable, Chancellor, Jillian Broadbent.

Each speech was an inspiration, but I was especially grateful to Simon Haines, CEO of the Ramsay Centre, for truly conveying the essence and spirit of UOW’s version of the BA in Western Civilisation in asking our students to ‘Give your teachers a hard time’. His words helped to focus the minds our students as they have now started to ‘take possession’ of the great works which are their rightful inheritance.