Mike Salmon was Vice-Chancellor of this University from 1992 to 1995 and Chairman of the Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust from 1995 to 2005. A graduate of the University of Leeds, he lectured at Letchworth College of Technology, Leeds College of Technology and North East London Polytechnic. In 1977 he was appointed Deputy Director of the Chelmer Institute of Higher Education and in 1982 was confirmed as its Director. The results of his vision of a regional polytechnic serving the whole community, and of his efforts to forge a partnership of the region's colleges, can be seen today in this University. As Vice Chancellor he was committed to establishing links with employers, and in doing so created a template that was to be copied by higher education institutions throughout the UK. In 1994 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Fachhochschule fur Wirtschaft in Berlin and an Honorary Fellow of Writtle College.
In 1995 Professor Michael Salmon was made an Honorary Doctor of the University.
"Mike Salmon was educated at Roundhay School and studied Economics at the University of Leeds. Following service in the Royal Air Force he was appointed a lecturer at Letchworth College of Technology. This was followed by teaching posts at Leeds College of Technology and the North East London Polytechnic. He was appointed Deputy Director of the newly constituted Chelmer Institute of Higher Education in 1977 and was confirmed as its Director in 1982.
During his period as Deputy Director he provided leadership of a high order steering the Institute through a major development programme. His outstanding qualities were recognised in an appointment by personal invitation to the Regional Board Working Party of the Governments of new National Advisory Body and he also continued to occupy a key role in the activities of the newly established Council for National Academic Awards.
As Director he continued the task of building a major centre for vocational higher education in the East Anglian region. Strong links with employers were established leading to a range of highly innovative partnerships with employers; arrangements which subsequently were copied widely in the higher education sector throughout the UK. Such links also led to demands for a polytechnic within the region. Faced by a lack of support from government departments for such a development, he offered his vision of a regional polytechnic serving the needs of all members of the community to other academic institutions and local education authorities throughout the four Anglian counties. Despite very real political difficulties his vision triggered an enthusiastic and positive response such that local loyalties were set aside in order that the region as a whole could be better served. As a result, in 1989 the then Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology and Essex Institute of Higher Education merged to constitute the Anglia Higher Education College and were joined in a regional partnership by City College Norwich, the then Norfolk Institute of Art and Design (now the Norwich School of Art), Writtle College and the Colchester Institute, to form Anglia Polytechnic and subsequently Anglia Polytechnic University.
Through its regional college and associate college partner structure the University continues to be unique in the UK and seeks to maintain the very best of polytechnic traditions through making higher education readily available to all individuals wherever they live, whatever their age, whether employed or unemployed and organisations throughout the region.
Professor Salmon's horizons, however, were not limited to the UK. Under his leadership the University established international links on all continents so that not only do students throughout the world come to the University but also Anglia undergraduates enjoy the opportunity of travel and study abroad as an integral element with their studies.
In recognition of his contribution to international education Professor Salmon was made an Honorary Fellow of the Fachhochschule fur Wirtschaft in Berlin in 1994 and closer to home, an Honorary Fellow of Writtle College in the same year.
Today we celebrate the graduation of students who have benefited through study in this University. That this is possible is in a very real sense a graphic and direct result of Mike Salmon's vision, imagination, determination and leadership.
It is with great pleasure that we recognise his unique contribution to education and the life of the East Anglia region by awarding Professor Salmon an Honorary Doctorate of the University."