Former Royal Academy President receives an honorary award
Published: 11 August, 2017
Sir John Parker has received an Honorary Doctorate of the University of Huddersfield for services to business and the economy. Speaking as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, HRH The Duke of York, KG, hailed the importance of engineers for the future of society. He described engineering is “a fundamental application of everything”.
“Nothing in this world would ever get done if it wasn’t for the fact that it is engineered in some way or another,” said His Royal Highness, speaking at one of the graduation ceremonies taking place at the University over a ten-day period.
Earlier in the ceremony, an Honorary Doctorate of the University had been conferred on the leading engineer, industrialist and former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sir John Parker. The Duke of York used Sir John’s career as an example of high achievement that could be emulated by graduate engineers.
Sir John Parker, after receiving his honorary doctorate from The Duke of York, passed on advice that he received at the start of his career – that “the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity”.
“With your hard-earned degrees you will be in a position to seize opportunities and in turn to be of real value to the society that we are privileged to live in,” said Sir John.
