News

Durham VC to be new Glasgow Chancellor

(25 January 2006)

Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, Vice-Chancellor at Durham University since 1998, is to be the new Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.

Mr Chris Moyes, the Chairman of Durham University Council, said: “We congratulate Sir Kenneth on becoming head of the university where he studied, taught and carried out research. This is a great tribute to his achievements at Durham during eight years as Vice-Chancellor which has been a significant period of development here. We wish him every success in his new role.” Sir Kenneth said of his new post: “I am delighted and honoured to have been elected Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, my alma mater. I should like to thank all who supported me. The University of Glasgow is of international significance. It has an enormous heritage, and I shall do all I can to uphold the traditions and values of scholarship.” Born in 1941, Sir Kenneth grew up on Clydeside and began his medical training at the University of Glasgow in 1959. He took a BSc in Biochemistry before graduating in medicine in 1967. After working on aspects of dermatology for his PhD, he completed his hospital training, and then spent two years as the Medical Research Council Clinical Research Fellow at the Chester Beatty Research Institute in London. He returned to the University of Glasgow in 1974 as Professor of Oncology and held a series of senior posts, including Dean of Postgraduate Medicine and Professor of Postgraduate Medical Education. He later served as Chief Medical Officer at the Scottish Office Home and Health Department, and Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health in London. Sir Kenneth made it known last year that he was planning to retire during 2007 and the University has begun the formal process for appointing a successor. There will be a short overlap between Sir Kenneth's appointments in Durham and Glasgow, as he takes up his position in Summer 2006, but this will cause no difficulty for either university. The Chancellorship at Glasgow is largely a formal figurehead and ceremonial position. The Durham Chancellorship was filled last year by the internationally-acclaimed writer Bill Bryson on the recommendation of a special committee of members of the University’s Senate and Council including Sir Kenneth.