HISTORY
THE PAST IS THE FUTURE A new archive project has launched at Aston University, preserving vital documents from its predecessor institution, Birmingham Municipal Technical School.
H
“
istory is more or less bunk,” remarked Henry Ford in 1916. Thankfully, the inventor of the Model T automobile did not operate in a world dominated by ‘fake news’ or need to grab the attention of a largely distracted public. These days, most businesses (Ford included) value history because it helps, not only to mark progress, but to remind everyone of their higher purpose. It helps to correct errors and to articulate who we are. It may be too much of a stretch to claim that it helps us to avoid mistakes – history, as we know, repeats itself – but it might keep us focussed; even honest. For universities, maintaining the continuous thread of tradition has always been important (just look at the pomp of a graduation ceremony) but now more so than ever. No longer monolithic; slow-to-change; exclusive; universities are diverse and populous institutions. Reputation is key – and what is it built on? History.
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