Happy Chinese New Year

Transcription

Hi everyone, it’s Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor here at The University of Manchester.

I want to send my warm best wishes to our students, staff, alumni, supporters, and wish you all a wonderful Chinese New Year in this year, the year of the snake.

I know it’s a time of togetherness and being with family and friends, and I wish you all the best for the Lunar New Year.

What a wonderful year 2024 has been. We’ve celebrated our bicentenary over 200 years of teaching and research here in Manchester, and we’re looking forward in 2025 to our next 100 years and planning what our University will be by 2035.

I’m delighted that my first visit as President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester will be to China, and I’m looking forward to visiting Beijing and Shanghai shortly and meeting so many of you during my time there.

I’ve already had the honour of meeting the Chinese Consul-General in Manchester. I’m looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year with him and many of our students and friends on campus as well.

It just reflects to me how important our relationship with China is, and it’s appropriate that my first visit is with all of you.

So with over 9,000 Chinese students here on our campus across all three of our faculties, I just want to recognise how valuable they are to us, how much they contribute to our campus and to the work here at the University.

I’m also very grateful to the Chinese students and scholars association for all the work they do to support our students and with whom we work on a regular basis. So may this year of the snake bring you success, wisdom and prosperity.