David Baker

BA (Hons) Modern Languages, 1977

From Wolverhampton to Auckland, via the turning points in history.

In 1977 the University of Wolverhampton looked very different from today and at that time so did many other parts of the world. Graduate in Modern Languages, David Baker, got to experience this first hand when, as part of his course, he spent a study year abroad in the USSR and Barcelona.

David chose the University of Wolverhampton (then known as Wolverhampton Polytechnic) as he wanted to study applied languages and most other universities at that time focussed on literature-based programmes.

“My time at Wolverhampton was probably the most formative period of my life and I have very happy memories” he says. “The teaching staff in particular were excellent and genuinely cared about how well their students did."

David adds: “I can still recall a point during my final year when it dawned on me that the teaching I’d received had brought me close to the point where the only way to advance my knowledge was actually to find new stuff that no-one had written about!”

A year overseas

As part of his course, David was given the opportunity to spend an academic year overseas. He spent the first term in Voronezh in the then USSR and the rest of the year in Barcelona.

Both placements occurred during key turning points in history; the USSR was still experiencing Cold War tensions, and Spain was dealing with the death of their leader, Francisco Franco, and David found both experiences to be truly eye-opening.

“Few Western students were allowed in to the USSR at that time (there were only 32 from the whole of the UK on the exchange programme). I saw first hand what the USSR was doing to influence developing countries through scholarships. Then when I went to Barcelona just after Franco died I witnessed streets full of Catalan nationalist rioters. The whole experience arguably made me the person I am today - a great believer in internationalisation, especially of education, and as it turns out that’s the career path I’ve taken.”

A career in Auckland

Today, David is the Director of the International Office at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is responsible for all matters international at the University, including the recruitment and welfare of international students and the management of student exchange schemes.

“For me there is no such thing as a typical day”, David says. “I might be meeting a Head of State (we had three last year, including the King and Queen of Spain), flying off for an international network meeting in Vancouver or a recruitment fair in Bangkok, or back at base putting together a business case for funding an operation in China.”

Looking back at his time at Wolverhampton David has some words of wisdom for future university students.

“It’s not so much the knowledge you acquire, as the ability to learn and to know how to find out. The piece of paper that is your degree certificate is a stepping stone, and everything you learn at university will change.  But neither is ever wasted. “