We have spent a great deal of time recently, across all our campuses, talking about being ‘safe’. And our automatic reaction is to think Covid-19. But we must not forget all the other elements that keep us safe, including our IT. A recent cyber-attack on two other universities in the north of England has reminded us that we should always remain vigilant. With changing working methods and patterns, and an increased reliance on technology during the pandemic, this could be deemed an opportunistic time for hackers. Please be assured our University has robust processes in place, and we have detailed IT Security procedures we must all follow. As with many things we deal with day-to-day, our safety requires all of us to work together.
Our ‘Welcome Weeks’ across our campuses have been going well and Semester 1 has now started in Malaysia, with the UK and Dubai following close behind. I would like to, once again, thank everyone for working together to achieve all that has been required to get us here. Across our Academic and Professional Services colleagues, our Student Unions and Councils and all the surrounding support services and organisations. This is a huge achievement and one that I don’t think any of us would have believed possible several months ago. We have used our collective ingenuity, creativity and sheer hard work to make it happen and I am incredibly impressed and grateful to you all. Our values to belong, inspire and collaborate are once again so ably endorsed. It has been good to see the positive comments on social media from students and parents who may have been concerned about the start of Semester 1, that the Welcome process has worked so smoothly. The information we are providing online is also giving comfort, again to parents, families as well as students, that we are doing everything we can to keep everyone well informed and we will need to continue to do further communication ahead. Let’s keep this incredible level of collaboration going, as a positive outcome from what has been a difficult, and often testing, time.
As we read about an increase in the number of COVID cases around the world, and the introduction of localised restrictions in some areas, it is a reminder of our collective responsibility to each other to follow the guidelines. We have worked so collaboratively to get to this point, we need to ensure we continue with the level of responsibility and respect that our University values advocate. I will be back on campus this week and am very much looking forward to seeing our students and colleagues bringing some vitality back to campus in the way that has happened already in Malaysia and will no doubt be the case in Dubai. The only thing certain about the future is that it remains uncertain and we shall continue to be vigilant and flexible as circumstances require us to be.
An important part of how the University operates is how I, and the rest of the University Executive, work together with our governing bodies. Our Court is a fundamental part of the governance of the University and the body that oversees our financial and academic decisions. This week I spoke with Mr Grant Innes, the new Chair of Court, about the importance of our strategy and where and how the values of the University play into our current and future governance.
Thank you for your cooperation and collaboration as we navigate through this continually shifting landscape. The spirit I have seen in the way we as an institution have welcomed our students back to university life has been so inspiring, and I thank each and every one of you who has worked together to create such a welcoming atmosphere.
Stay well and stay safe.
Professor Richard A. Williams
Principal and Vice-Chancellor