John Caunt
As the most friendly and welcoming college that I had ever known, I wanted to become more involved
John Caunt's career began with Hilger and Watts in Camden Town, London, a scientific instrument manufacturer for emission and absorption spectroscopy. He started his own company, John Caunt Scientific Ltd, (JCS), in 1975, based in Eynsham, near Oxford. The company designed instrumentation for the detection and measurement of radioactivity. In 2010 he handed the business on to his two sons and took up the role of Chairman. In 1995, he was invited to join the steering committee of a new Master’s degree at Liverpool University covering all aspects of the science involved in measuring radioactivity entitled "Radiometric Physics"; he also successfully completed the degree course himself. He was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers in 2009 and became Master in October 2016. He also works for Step Change, a part of the Oxfordshire Community Foundation, which helps and supports Oxfordshire charities, and sits on the advisory council of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.
First contact with HMC
I have been connected to Harris Manchester College since the early 1990’s, when I held mini conferences there as a part of several European Research collaborations. I got to know the college in more detail by the end of that time. My first impressions of the college were that it was small, humble and poor, but the most friendly and welcoming college that I had ever known. I wanted to become more involved. I joined the Board of Regents at Harris Manchester College Oxford, in 2012.
Regents' achievement of which I am most proud
Looking at those who come together as a Board of Regents, as an active group of supporters, who care about the future of the college, it makes me proud to see the progress they are making by helping to finance the colleges major improvement project.
A message for students
You are members of a very special college, and as we have seen over the past few years it is very capable of holding its own in the Oxford Collegiate System. Keep success in your sights: "plus est en vous".
