Sir Andrew Witty, The new Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, visits the University’s Malaysia Campus

1-4-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The new Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, Sir Andrew Witty, has paid his first official visit to The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).

This is the first time that Sir Andrew has visited UNMC, since he was officially installed as the 7th Chancellor of the University last month. During his visit he had the opportunity to meet students, staff and alumni, and to learn more about the history and the future development of this pioneering institution.

Sir Andrew, Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline, graduated from The University of Nottingham in 1985 with a BA in Economics and was formally installed as Chancellor on March 12 in an official ceremony at University of Nottingham in the UK.

Tour of campus

Sir Andrew became Chief Executive Officer of GSK in 2008 and was knighted for services to the UK economy and to its pharmaceutical industry in the 2012 New Year Honours.

During his visit to UNMC, Sir Andrew toured the campus and formally opened the new 1,200 bed Student Accommodation Village. In a formal ceremony, he also delivered a lecture titled, ‘Quality Degree or Quality Experience — What’s University About?’ to staff and students. In the evening, the University hosted a dinner, providing Sir Andrew with the opportunity to meet Board members, and key figures from the business, education and government sectors.

The new accommodation will be fully available to students in September of this year. The newly unveiled rooms are spacious and boast a range of facilities to enhance student comfort. All rooms are air conditioned, have ensuite bathrooms and hot water shower facilities, a mini refrigerator and are Wi-Fi enabled.

Nottingham alumnus

“It is a great honour for us to host Sir Andrew, a Nottingham alumnus himself, at UNMC. I was particularly pleased that he chose Malaysia for his first official trip overseas since becoming the University Chancellor barely two weeks ago” said Professor Christine Ennew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor/ Provost and CEO of UNMC.

Sir Andrew said: “Universities are truly remarkable institutions. In the UK we are very lucky to have some of the world’s greatest universities and I am grateful to have been a student at one of them. Now, to have the chance to give something back, and to help the Vice-Chancellor and the Council to develop the institution for the future is an honour and an opportunity I look forward to enormously. With such a strong affinity for Nottingham, it was a very easy decision to accept the invitation to become the Chancellor of the University.”

Regarding Nottingham’s unique status as the first UK University to have an international campus, Sir Andrew noted,

University internationalisation

“The internationalisation of the University is truly commendable and while I am here at UNMC, I encountered once again Nottingham students who have the same spirit, zeal and creativity as our students in the UK.” he said.

Students at UNMC were actively involved in hosting the visit. Students Pamela Victor and Mohd Nazreen Mohammed were emcees at the formal ceremony, Student Association President, Sattyam Veerapen, Student Council Chair, Adeleke Ismail Kassim and other student representatives attended the lecture by Sir Andrew.

The Chancellor has a number of key roles in the University including ceremonial duties — playing a formal part in graduation ceremonies — and acting as an ambassador and advocate for the University in the UK and around the world. He also acts as a key adviser on matters of major strategic importance to the development of the University. It is an unremunerated role.

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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the World’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…

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Sir Andrew Witty makes his first official trip to The University of Nottingham’s Malaysia Campus