OK, so our smiling is still a bit of a work in progress…

So today I finally make it to becoming a Professor.

Since this blog has been an important part of helping to raise my profile and sharing my work, it’s only fitting that I use this platform to thank all of my colleagues – at Surrey and beyond – for their part in getting me to where I am.

Without wishing to go all mushy on you, time has only increased my appreciation of the importance of one’s colleagues in making this job work. Without their support, encouragement, insight and friendship, things would be very much more difficult, if not impossible.

As I happily tell people, I’m even luckier in having such a great group here at Surrey: yes, there’s few enough of us to comfortably fit into a group photo, but we work very well as a team and make this a very positive place to be.

A special thank you has to go to Roberta, who started on the same day as me (16 years ago, exactly) and has been an inspiration throughout. Our loss is Bristol’s gain, but I will always be thankful for all she has done for the Department and for me.

Since I’m in a ‘thank you’ mood, I’d also want to acknowledge the wider European Studies community, and especially UACES. Since my doctoral study days I have been warmly welcomed into a very constructive group of academics, both in the UK and beyond, and the connections I made here have stood the test of time in enabling me to develop all the elements of my work. It’s why I always encourage students to get out of their home institution and be part of something bigger.

You’ll be disappointed to hear that this isn’t going to change me: I’ll still be blogging here and on the Active Learning site, plus tweeting on all the Brexit stuff.

That said, it’s nearly time for a summer break, so thank you again to everyone who’s encouraged me on the way and I hope I can be a good ambassador for our profession.