ULTRAVERSITY GRADUATES MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN AWARDS CEREMONY

120 of the 140 graduates from the BA (Hons) Learning Technology Research met for the first time in Chelmsford to collect their certificates in the Cathedral at Anglia Ruskin University's awards ceremony.

From as far as Northern Ireland 120 graduates of this innovative online and work-based degree travelled to meet each other and their tutors for the very first time. There were hugs, tears and smiles as the graduates recognised people with whom they had formed "very deep bonds" over three years of studying together in an online community. In the same ceremony, The Right Reverend Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward was awarded an honorary doctorate of the university and went on to speak about the openness of opportunities offered at Anglia Ruskin University. The stories he told and the values he proposed were instantly recognisable by the graduates - an unintended connection which was all the more valuable for that. The ceremony marked a critical moment in the development of Ultralab's Ultraversity project too - congratulations to all the team who made it possible.