Dr Douglas Dawson

Dr Douglas Dawson is opening doors for students facing adversity – just as GCU once did for him.

As a teenager mourning the loss of his father and an abrupt end to his career in football, Dr Douglas Dawson felt somewhat lost when he first stepped into GCU’s Students' Union building, known affectionately in the late seventies as “The Bubble”.

Within its walls, he found a sense of belonging. But at the time, he never imagined he’d one day return to GCU as not only a successful businessman, but as a donor determined to give today’s students the same lifeline that once changed his own life.

Between socialising and finding his footing at The Bubble, Douglas pursued his studies in Engineering at GCU as a Marine Engineering Officer Cadet.

"The Bubble, as it was affectionately known back then, was an inflatable structure that was the temporary Students' Union while the new one was being built.

“To me, given my childhood history, it was much more than that; it gave me a sense of place, a sense of community and family.”

Today, as Chairman of precision engineering firms in Newcastle and Singapore – and a trusted advisor to the Scottish Government on industrial policy – Douglas has returned to GCU not just as an alumnus, but as a Campaign Champion for our 150th Anniversary Campaign.

His generous gift opens doors for students overcoming  adversity, ensuring they receive the same opportunities in higher education that transformed his own life.

“After I graduated and then subsequently followed my career at sea and then ashore in industry, I always wanted to help young people who - like me perhaps - have had to overcome adversity in childhood, into further education and the benefits that this can bring.

“I have seen throughout my travels and career around the world, the terrible inequities that exist in our and many other societies in other countries.

“As I reached the upper echelons of industry and was in a position as CEO of very large engineering companies, it was in my gift to become a donor to the University and make a difference.

“In joining everyone back at the University to celebrate the 150^th Anniversary Year, it is very humbling, and I am deeply honoured to be back in Glasgow, at GCU – a place I call home!

“To see the impact on young people’s lives when they are given a chance to progress and develop through education is the ultimate reward.”