UCA awards professorship to Sir Terence Conran
One of the world's best known designers has become an honorary professor at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).
Sir Terence Conran received the award for services to design, education and the creative arts at an emotional ceremony at UCA Farnham on 3 May 2012.
Professor Sir Terence Conran said: "This award is a true honour to me because I have always passionately believed that creativity and education are of fundamental importance to the way we live our lives and to our economy.
"UCA is an extraordinary University with a great heritage and reputation for innovative, forward thinking in nurturing talent and creativity. They have a big part to play in all our futures.
"Being here today has been such a pleasure because you can feel the passion of the students and staff all around you and in everything they do."
The founder of Habitat, Conran Holdings, Benchmark Furniture and the Design Museum, to name a few, will take up the honorary role with immediate effect.
Guests at the ceremony included, UCA graduate Karen Millen, Anne Tyrell, Peter York, the Mayors of Farnham and Waverley, and students, who were given the opportunity to put questions to Sir Terence.
Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr, Vice-Chancellor at UCA, said: "UCA is delighted to award Sir Terence Conran with this honorary professorship.
"He single-handedly changed this country's understanding of design and has changed modern life through his products, shops and restaurants.
"Sir Terence Conran continues to provide us all with an education in design and is someone that both staff and students look up to.
"At a time when UCA is reaffirming its commitment to British design, craft and manufacturing through a new dedicated school, I am certain his association with University will inspire this and the next generation of designers studying at UCA."
Sir Terence Conran founded the Conran Design Studio in 1956 and later the Habitat chain of home furnishings stores that revolutionised the UK High Street in the 1960s and 1970s by bringing intelligent, modern design within reach of the general population.
In the 1980s Habitat was expanded and following a series of acquisitions evolved into Storehouse plc, the Chairmanship from which Sir Terence retired in 1990. Since then, he has built another group of companies involved in design, retailing, restaurants and hotels, working on projects all over the world.
Sir Terence has always been a great supporter of education in design and founded the Design Museum in London in 1989.
The University for the Creative Arts has campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester and is one of Europe's largest specialist Universities of art, design, architecture, media and communication.
With around 7,000 students studying on a wide range of well-established courses, potential graphic designers' work alongside budding journalists and pioneering fashion designers in a highly creative environment.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
