The Serendipity of Hope

Simon Lee, Ian S. Markham, Simon Lee, Ian S. Markham

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9781666737066, 9781666796148
• eBook ISBN: 9781666796155
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Institutions are very precious. If any idea is going to persist into the future, then it needs an institution to keep it going. Each of us comes to understand, often only gradually over the decades, how some influences from our earlier life have affected us. Some will have been inspiring. Some will have given us direct models of how to behave or how not to behave. Indeed, it is often the case that the deeper an influence turns out to have been, in the long run, the less likely it is that we noticed it at the time it was happening. For this reason, it has become necessary to find the time to reflect on and express gratitude for the institutions that helped form who we are and the work that we do. This collection of essays explores the impact of one institution on twenty-five participants, twenty-five years after we worked together. The Institution was Liverpool Hope University College and is now Liverpool Hope University. By telling and reflecting on our stories, we aim to encourage others to think about their own experiences and, ultimately, our earnest hope is that a greater awareness of this aspect of university life will help to transform our collective understanding of the nature of universities in particular, and of communities, institutions, or societies in general. But there was something special about belonging to a community called Hope.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Serendipity of Hope in the Peripheral Vision of a University
• Diverse Student Stories: A Welcoming, Stimulating, and Encouraging Environment
• Parity of Esteem: Inclusivity and Change
• Pioneering learning at a distance and in partnerships
• Serving Alongside the Marginalized: Walking On, with Hope in Our Hearts