Highfield Campus has been alive with Graduation over the last few days as we celebrate with over 4,000 of our newest graduates, their families, friends and supporters.

We are delighted to announce Council approved 40 academic promotions from among our existing staff community including 32 new professors. We can also reveal the names of the 11 individuals and six teams who are being recognised for their exceptional contributions through the 2014 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.

While we have much to celebrate internally, externally we have been building our profile as a world-class University; we are distinctive due to our connections. As part of this, over the last three weeks we have aired our connectivity film in cinemas and on TV; over 110,000 people have viewed it online.

Finally, this month we acknowledge the announcement from our Vice-Chancellor, Don Nutbeam regarding his plans for retirement within the next two years and of Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt’s plans to take up a post as Principal of Jesus College, Oxford in 2015.

We look forward to raising a glass and celebrating all of our achievements at the 2014 Staff Party tomorrow afternoon.