 I first came to the ANU as a postgraduate student in 1973. Well I'm a Canberra boy. I've been to school in Canberra. So it was pretty evident even then that the Australian National University was a very special university in Australia. Not only do I think I got a wonderful research education as a graduate student but the broader intellectual environment at ANU I think was in Australia just unsurpassed. I wanted to be stressed so as well as doing mainly Latin and ancient Greek and maths subjects I also studied a couple of subjects in political science. I mean where was no better than the ANU and you had someone like Finn Crisp who'd been I think chair of the Commonwealth Bank lecturing you in government subjects that was pretty good. He'd just known all the Prime Ministers and the Ministers. It wasn't a matter of textbooks from Finn. It's a very inclusive environment. The very fact that we believe in research-led teaching means that undergraduates are incorporated right the way through the university. We have a wonderful friendly community of exciting, innovative, engaged students and staff who are really keen to talk about issues, to work with each other. It's a very open society and I think people should take that openness to mean that they should explore and really be as creative as possible. Most of the scholars here at ANU were very open and that was one of the joys of being in college but also of having small classes. So I have to say I interacted with people in economic areas particularly in Asia Pacific. I've always found it a great advantage that the ANU is a university in the national capital. Apart from the relationships with the politicians and the fact that you feel at the heart of Australian politics Canberra also has these extraordinary cultural institutions. ANU is a really special community within a small but dynamic city. I don't think Canberra could exist without ANU and ANU adds enormous dimensions of international people coming in to visit us and speak to us. It has students from all around the world who add a wonderful dynamic. So that's the ANU I love to visit. Very proud to be an emeritus professor here and I hope in the seminars I give or the seminars I attend I can gain and give back into that very important exchange of ideas and knowledge.