Building openings feature high profile speakers
The University is welcoming two prominent alumni to celebrate the official openings of two new buildings on the Heslington East campus: Law and Management, and Theatre, Film and Television.
On 4 July, Caroline Thomson, Chief Operating Officer of the BBC, will open Law and Management, and will also deliver the inaugural Cantor Business Lecture.
Caroline is a member of the BBC's Executive Board and reports to the Director-General. Her responsibilities include the BBC's Policy, Legal, Strategy, Property and Distribution functions, and all of the organisation’s major infrastructure projects, including digital switchover, and the move to Salford.
Caroline’s lecture will explore how to deliver change and accountability in public organisations, with specific reference to balancing accountability with creativity at the BBC. Colleagues, students and members of the public are invited to attend the lecture, which will take place at 5.30pm on Monday 4 July, and free tickets are available here.
On 7 July, Denise O’Donoghue will open Theatre, Film and Television, with the programme including a showcase from the Department’s students. Denise was co-founder and formerly Joint Managing Director of Hat Trick Productions, and is currently Managing Director of ITV Studios. Denise was awarded an OBE for services to television in the New Year Honours list of 1999, with production credits including Have I Got News For You and Drop the Dead Donkey.
Caroline and Denise have both been actively involved at the University, supporting showcases in London and visiting the campus to offer students professional advice.
The new buildings are flagship elements of the University’s Heslington East expansion. The new Law and Management Building accommodates the two departments, and features innovative teaching spaces, including a Harvard-style lecture theatre, a court and a problem-based learning suite to facilitate the teaching style of the Law School. The Department of Theatre, Film and Television is housed in a £30m complex, comprising a 200 seat theatre, rehearsal spaces, a cinema, two television studios, and state of the art post-production labs. In 2011, the University’s £750 million development at Heslington East won a 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award for architectural excellence.
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