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Bircham International University

BIU Founder - Deric Bircham

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham is the designer of the BIU pedagogical system and the heart that gives impulse to the BIU Academic Board and Instructors Network.

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham is the designer of the BIU pedagogical system and the heart that gives impulse to the BIU Academic Board and Instructors Network.

PROF. EMERITUS DR. DERIC BIRCHAM
The BIU pedagogy, teaching & academic network.

The ancestral family of Bircham settled in the area of West Anglia England around the 12th century in a place named Bircham: a group of three villages in West Anglia, Norfolk, England. The name of these three villages were Bircham Newton, Bircham Tofts, and Great Bircham. Today, the town of Great Bircham is the only remain. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Great Bircham was built in the early 14th century starting with the Chancel about 1300, and was completed around 1345 and has received Royal Patronage since Henry the 8th was King of England, and still continues in this tradition. There is a Great Bircham Windmill, which is still fully functional and a tourist attraction.

William Bircham was the last Squire of the Village of Great Bircham 1750-1796. The Bircham family can be traced back in a direct line to the year 1360 through the Squires of the Village of Great Bircham. Further research could and should lead to the family being traced back to the foundation of the Villages of Great Bircham around 1066 AD, and who knows perhaps even further?

Family name of Bircham can be seen in other villages in Norfolk that the Family migrated to over the past 600 to 700 years. Such records can be found in Oxnead, Alysham, Buxton, Brampton, Booton, (where the last Lord of the Manor was a Samuel Bircham), Reepham, (where the Lord of the Manor resided). There is also the Bircham Library and Bircham Arts Centre. Records of the Bircham name are also found in North Creake, Dorking and elsewhere in Norfolk.

This Noble family dedicated itself to the agricultural exploration of the area. The Bircham's became an example to the dwellers of the area and they introduced new crop techniques, helped in the design of a new windmill, and so forth.

Times became hard in the Nineteenth Century and the wealth of the region was stuck. The Bircham's pioneer spirit was calling for further development. New lands promised new futures on the other side of the world. One of the Bircham's, Stanley Ernest Bircham migrated to New Zealand, some of his brothers to Canada, and others to the United States of America. There were many things to do in these new lands as had happened before in the ancient village of Great Bircham. The Bircham's put aside their Noble origins and dedicated themselves to the many works that were required in the new colonies. Years passed by and those families settled into their new Countries and were very comfortable with their new lives. None of the Bircham's returned to reside in the Villages of Bircham. The past origins and pioneer spirit were buried by the comfort of the new life, but not for all.

One of the sons of Stanley Ernest Bircham was Deric Bircham, who was born in December 16, 1934.

From a very young age, Deric was an adventurer, an artist and innovator at heart. He always longed for much more than working the land like his parents. He wondered what could be done differently from that remote part of the world that was New Zealand.

He made two moves that changed his life. First, he proposed to Patricia, the love of his life and married. Second, he decided to capture the beauty of New Zealand with his photographic camera. He dedicated time to cover the country and published the first Full Color Visual Photographic Essay book about New Zealand “Seeing New Zealand”, which became a best seller going into 5 editions. This successful publication propelled his artistic career as professional photographer.

Deric was hired by the New Zealand Government. He spent 26 years in the New Zealand Public Service in Wellington from 1952-1978, in the Ministries of Soil Conservation and Rivers Control, Tourist and Publicity, Works and Development and Foreign Affairs. Working for the government provided valuable experience that allowed Deric to deal with policy, compliance and international affairs that would later be used for the conception and development of Bircham International University.

Later on, Deric relocated to the Southern City of Dunedin where he worked for the University of Otago from 1978 to 1989. This was the start of his academic career. He also realized how the traditional university was failing to address the needs of adults facing higher education. While teaching, he came to realize that educational strategies should be different when aimed towards higher adult education. For some years he strove to get the traditional educational establishment to reconsider his pedagogical ideas (that would be finally synthesized in the BIU Study Guide), but the traditional educational establishment was too much tied and restricted by its own regulations, and could not establish a system with differentiated procedures for adults and young. All students should study the same way despite their age. There could not be a different system for adults than for the young. Such difference could be considered discriminatory and out of the norms. A no-end street had been reached. This was in the early 1990’s. Deric looked for new educational options, and investigated about distance learning, but New Zealand was too far away, and communications with the rest of the world were not so efficient at the time.

Deric Bircham also started his own business in visual communication (Photography, Video & Film). Deric had pioneered the art and technique of photographic images onto canvas. This technique along with his skill in portrait photography brought about commissions to portray onto canvas many Royals including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, other nobles of Europe, several Prime Ministers, governors and generals. As a consequence of so much travelling around the world and contacts with nobility in the UK and Europe, new paths towards new ventures opened up. He was offered lifetime fellowships into the Royal Photographic Society and the Royal Society of Arts, among many others awards.

His love for nature triggered his photographic career during his early years, but as time went by, he realized about new ways of connecting the natural world with the body, mind and spirit. Deric started studying Natural Health Sciences. In 1995, he pursued studies in Alternative and Complimentary Medicine under Lord Pundit Professor Dr. Sir Anton Jayasuriya in the field of Acupuncture at the South Colombo Hospital in Sri Lanka. Deric also undertook studies in the ancient form of healing known as Reiki to Master level. (Shamballa Method of Healing). Deric witnessed himself some miraculous healings in Japan, and in China, and became a strong promoter and defender of natural health, bioenergetic therapies and spiritual healing, which would be later developed as programs of study at Bircham International University.

Times were changing. Communications were more efficient, and New Zealand was no longer a disconnected edge from the rest of the world. New academic goals, postponed for so long, could now be achieved through correspondence schools. He experienced several distance learning universities and earned several degrees, but while doing so, he also learned that there was so much room for improvement in the field of distance education… How could those ideas become a reality?

He had written and illustrated several books covering many topics ranging from management to health. As an academic he graduated with several doctorate degrees and rose to the status of professor by three separate Universities and Colleges. He presented lectures and seminars in several countries. In China, he got his largest audience, an estimated of 2,000 eager students hanging on to his every word and philosophy. He had received countless nominations and honors as tokens of appreciation for his contributions and expertise in areas such as education, visual communication, literature, religion, natural and complementary medicine, philosophy, management and international law. And then, in 1996, Deric also received a fax from the opposite side of the world, from Spain… Internet barely existed in the 90’s, so the noisy fax was the only way to transmit documents quicker than mail. Not so long ago.

This fax was from a young man named William Martin, from Spain, who was looking for support for the establishment of a distance learning university. Deric doubled him in age. William’s project seemed a bit crazy, too ambitious and lacked funding, but his idea was embedded with a powerful vision. This project resonated Deric’s own ideas on education, the ones he fought for so many years to accomplish while working in the government and at the university. Deric decided to meet William in Brighton, UK, in 1997, and detected in the young man the same drive that had shaped his own destiny in the past, so despite of the fact that the project was just on paper, Deric decided to get involved. Initially, it was just a test, providing some academic support and advice, but soon Deric learned that William was a brilliant and trustworthy entrepreneur, so Deric got fully involved and added Laurence Cheng Wen Hung, a Chinese close friend and partner, to participate into the foundation of BIU. Laurence was a Chinese Medicine Doctor and a successful entrepreneur in Taiwan, who quickly saw great potential in the in the incipient BIU, and provided the financial and business structure for the idea to jump to the next stage. Then, Bircham University started to establish a solid presence worldwide, and the international part of the name met its true purpose.

Bircham International University origins

Bircham International University was initially established in England, in the town of Oxford as a College, a symbol of the English pioneer spirit of the Bircham's family. It also opened offices in Miami (USA), Madrid (Spain) and Kaohsiung (Taiwan). It was intended to really provide a multicultural and multi-language new approach to adult higher education. Soon, the executive development of BIU reshaped the organizational map. The UK office was not very functional, so it was closed. William Martin demonstrated an excellent capacity to run the institution from Madrid, while networking with many other partners worldwide.

Other like-minded people from England, the USA, the Commonwealth, China, Middle East and Latin America joined the team. The managing drive of Laurence Cheng and William Martin propelled this team, Deric made sure that the institutional core values were met at all times, and many students started to enroll in this innovative distance learning higher education pedagogical approach for adults and professionals that was represented by BIU. This group of well-educated men concluded that the traditional educational establishment was not going to ever accept this peculiar higher education pedagogical approach, and decided to establish an independent higher education institution taking great responsibility in maintaining high standards regarding academic quality, institutional integrity and administrative ethics. The idea not only worked but it grew fast, and it started to deliver beautiful results demonstrated by hundreds and hundreds of testimonies from students and graduates.

Today, Bircham International University has several operational offices around the world, thousands of students, a permanently increasing good reputation as an institution outside the traditional educational establishment and an excellent team of academics and directors.

My role as President: To ensure core values and integrity

I was just retired when I got involved in the establishment of Bircham International University 25 years ago. I wished I was younger then, that I could be more involved in the operational procedure and machinery that made BIU work. But my role came to be more important than running the whole thing. My presidency would secure the core values and the integrity that the institution would follow since its inception.

Bircham International University was created as an independent institution. As such it lacked the expected accreditation. Legally it was conceived and authorized as a non-formal higher education initiative. That legal framework was the only alternative that allowed the implementation of the pedagogical approach designed for adults and professionals that characterized BIU. From a certain point of view, nothing differentiated BIU from many diploma mills, except myself, William Martin, the staff we put together, and the way we were doing things. That really made BIU different from any other independent institution.

We were all people of high values and integrity. We valued quality and probity over quick money. BIU was never about money, but about establishing a new path for adults towards higher education. We wanted to feel proud of what we were doing defending this path that followed a different route. I enjoy using a good wine as an example. It requires patience, care, and time. Year after year we could attest the success of BIU. Graduates’ feedback stated how BIU helped them to achieve their goals, how they could learn so much while making their studies compatible with their personal and professional life. We were on the right track.

Today, Bircham International University’s ranking may be considered within the top ten in regards to educational quality according to the wide list of references and organizations endorsing it. Additionally, it presents a dual legal status, which merges the best of the two leading higher education systems of the world: Europe and the USA.

A good education should teach HOW to think rather than WHAT to think.

Bircham International University stands out from its competitors by offering unparalleled distance degree programs with unique conditions.

More than 270 majors of study!

The wide range of disciplines covered in this distance learning university curricula guarantees our students a highly competitive academic and professional profile. Bircham International University’s adult degree programs are designed to meet the students' career objectives as well as employers' qualification demands.

Credit for prior learning and experience!

Students learn what they need to learn and not what they already know. This fundamental premise allows the students enrolled at BIU's distance learning higher education programs to save time, energy, and money. Our adult degree programs are therefore, practical, motivating, and continuously updated.

Full compatibility with your life and work!

Students receive the complete distance learning degree program curriculum when they enroll at Bircham International University. This allows them to organize their time accordingly, and does not interfere with their work or personal life.

Effective distance learning higher education!

Both, the adult degree program requirements and the exams may be conducted from home, or from anywhere. BIU’s distance learning higher education methodology is based on the latest developments in psychology and pedagogy. It does not involve memorization, but rather emphasizes the students’ critical thinking and comprehension abilities.

BIU is the door to new opportunities.

Every sector is full of opportunities, but opportunities are hidden behind difficulties. Now that I am 90 years old, I can tell you that there has never been, and never will be any sector that offers an easy way to money and success. Sometimes the easy seems to happen, but it is an illusion that never lasts, unless you are prepared, you never stop questioning your success, and learn to transform difficulties into opportunities. Quoting Seneca “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.

The COVID Pandemic changed the perception that most people had about distance learning. For too many years, distance education was considered a secondary option for those who could not attend a traditional campus. The pandemic proved the opposite. Distance education is not only a valid formula, but it has also proven an unparalleled level of pedagogical effectiveness.

Bircham International University seemed a daring move at the time. BIU was severely criticized, defamed, but we stood firmly in our belief that we were making a difference. BIU created its own destiny. Now, practically all the traditional universities that so strongly criticized distance learning have transformed their classes into hybrid models that combine old pedagogical systems with the advantages of the online world.

However, despite of the many advantages of online education, mostly in terms of terms of affordability of time and costs, it is important to keep in mind that the online does not work well for everyone. Distance learning requires great motivation, willpower and a sense of responsibility.

Bircham International University was a pioneer initiating a teaching model that combined the best of the European and North American educational systems with the needs of the adult student, and adding the advantages of distance learning. For more than 25 years we have obtained the institutional support of the best distance education organizations in the world. The effectiveness of our programs is reflected in the testimonials of hundreds and hundreds of students.

Create your destiny

Along my many years of life, my path wasn't easy. Struggles were there filling times with worry, but hard times also made me appreciate the moments of happiness. Now at my age, it's become very clear that things I once found important (mostly the ones you buy), were not so meaningful. Money undoubtedly makes life easier, but it does not bring happiness. I spent some younger years frustrated because I never became the millionaire I wished for. Although, now I feel so rich in good friends, experiences, memories, and love. All of that, I can take with me when I leave this world.

How much I shared, of my soul and my heart, will ultimately be what defines me. Many people took advantage of my eagerness to help, some crooks tried to steal my achievements or money, or worse. I learned to get those people out of my life without losing my capacity to trust others. Hearing the candid whisper of my heart led me to believe in William Martin, and thus led to the establishment of Bircham International University. I feel proud of this legacy.

When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. What you do does make a difference, so then, you must decide what kind of difference you want to make. The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy. This is the spirit that has driven the growth of BIU since its inception, its non-profit nature, the success of our graduates… I am glad to attest to this fact during all the years of my presidency.

Each one of us seeks wisdom, that is the ability developed through experience, insight and reflection, to discern truth and exercise good judgment. Many conceptualize wisdom as an especially well-developed form of common sense. Others consider wisdom to be a trait that can be developed by experience, but not taught. When applied to practical matters, the term wisdom is synonymous with prudence. Does wisdom come with age? Or is it simply accumulated knowledge? You will see when you reach my age ;)

You have the capacity to create your own destiny, as I did. I started from a humble family who lost their origins, and wealth, and was forced to start from scratch on the other side of the world. I never lost faith in myself. I always listened to the subtle voice of my heart and intuition. I believed everything was possible, so… I met kings and queens from different kingdoms, I enjoyed inspiring people with my books, teachings and conferences, I travelled the world, I learned the natural ways of health and energy that still keep me quite well in my nineties, I found true love, I raised a family, I met incredible people and friends all over, and I contributed to the development of Bircham International University, a legacy I believe is a great tool for those who also want to create their own destiny.

Prof. Emeritus Dr. Deric Bircham Biodata.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Deric Bircham carries duel citizenship of both New Zealand and Great Britain.

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Visual Communication (1995) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Psychological Management (1997) from California University for Advanced Studies in San Francisco. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Arts and Letters (2005) from Academie Europeenne D’Informatisation in Belgium. He also earned an Honorary Doctor of Laws for merit (LL.D.(H.C.)) in Business Law (2007) from the 19th century (1899) Southern Eastern University in London.

Deric's nobility status is named by the territorial designation of Bircham of Norfolk in England, the origins of his dynastic nobiliary house since the 12th century, which continued through Deric as the 3rd Baron of Kingston (since 1999). He was established as Prince of the indigenous Ogba Kingdom of Nigeria by its Royal House of Asade (1995), officially recognized as “Prince Palatine” by the Ministry of Culture of Albania (1999), and registered by the Chief Magistrate Court of Lagos (2003). The Ogba Kingdom was recognized by Queen Victoria of the British Crown in 1850. He was also established as Prince (“Knyaz”) of the Royal House of Korbat-Paze of Imperial Holy Russia (2009), granted Royal Protection and Fons Honourum for the Noble House of Bircham.

His career path was spent with 26 years in the New Zealand Public Service in Wellington from 1952-1978 in the Ministries of Soil Conservation and Rivers Control, Tourist and Publicity, Works and Development and Foreign Affairs, after which time he relocated to the Southern City of Dunedin where he was appointed onto the staff of the University of Otago from 1978 - 1989 after which time he returned to the Capital to commence his own Business in Visual Communication (Photography, Video & Film) as well as in Natural and Complimentary Medicine and also help establish several International Organizations.

Fellowships in Professional Organizations have been from the Royal Photographic Society, and Royal Society of Arts (England), International Biographical Centre United Writers Association. (Bombay, India), New Zealand Institute of Management, Beijing Institute of Management (China), Mazdayashnie Monastery (India) and Life Patron of Genesis Business Institute (Ghana, West Africa) and Senior Life Patron (Honourary) Zoroastrian College, India. 1995 he pursued studies in the area of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine under Lord Pundit Professor Dr. Sir Anton Jayasuriya in the field of Acupuncture at the South Colombo Hospital in Sri Lanka. Deric Bircham also undertook studies in the ancient form of healing known as Reiki to Master level. (Shamballa Method of Healing).

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham has received many Honors, Medals, Citation, and Accolades over the years including the 1986 Albert Einstein Peace Medal. Awards of Excellence and Special Certificate of Merit in Health Sciences (Mazdayashnie Monastery, India), Awards of Excellence in Education and Services to Humanity, together with Holistic World Health Congress Certificate, Millennium Award for Education, Zoroastrian College (India).

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham was awarded lifetime status of Academician (Academico) by Academia Ciencias Humanisticas y Relaciones in Dominican Republic (1982), Accademia Constantiniana de Lettere Arti e Scienze in Italy (1999), Mazdayashnie Monastery in India (2002), and the International Diplomatic Academy of Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Russia (2005).

He holds lifetime Professorship status as Professor Emeritus from the United Nations University for Peace (UN Charter No. 35/55/X11/1980) in Belgium (1990), Zoroastrian College in India (2003).

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham is the author and co-author of the following books:

- Seeing New Zealand (5 Editions)
- Waitomo Tourist Caves
- Towards a More Just World
- Table Tennis, Thirteen Facets
- A Day In The Life Of New Zealand
- Old St. Paul's, Rhapsody
- Dunedin-New Zealand's Best Kept Secret
- St. Joseph's Cathedral
- Work's of Gottfried Lindauer
- Course Design and Turf Care at the Royal Melbourne Golf Course
- I Shall Pass This Way But Once
- New Zealanders of Destiny
- Deric's Photo Notes Volume 1 & 2
- Discover the Way of Survival
- Hospitality Management
- Management Made Easy
- Hands on Reiki
- Nerve Stimulation
- Nerve Stimulation Therapeutics
- Staff Training and Development
- Aspects of Marketing
- Choose your Destiny
- A Philosophy for Life
- Success Never Sleeps
- New Zealand Mini Series Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
- My Alpine Paradise

Prof. Dr. Deric Bircham has also followed the calling of the Holy Spirit as career Clergy in traditional and classical Churches: He was ordained as a Priest in New York (1999), consecrated a Bishop in Saint Petersburg (2005) and elevated to Archbishop (“Patriarch Vladika”) of New Zealand (2008) by the Holy Orthodox Church of Russia (2013). He was incardinated as a Cardinal of the Pontifical Curia of the 12th century Ancient Catholic Church of the original 1st century denomination of Ancient Catholicism (2017).

BIU Founder - Deric Bircham

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