Celebrating our centenary
By marking our Centenary, the University of Leicester has reached a moment in history. Within these pages – and indeed, throughout all of our celebrations – we reflect upon our past and the sacrifices made by the many to bring us to where we are today.
We owe a great deal to the citizens of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who have supported our work and championed our cause over the last 100 years.
When Dr Astley Clarke first proposed the idea of a University College in Leicester, to act as a living memorial for those who gave so much during the First World War, he did so with knowledge of the transformative power of education.
I speak to you today as a symbol of that change. Education changed my life, as it has for generations of students in our first Century.
Therefore I am immensely proud to lead our celebrations and, at the same time, humbled by the significance of this moment.
We are the custodians of a legacy, and have a responsibility to continue to change lives for the better.
Through our Centenary, we honour our founding legacy and the sacrifices made by the many from our community; of their time; their talent; their treasure; and in some instances, the ultimate sacrifice of all – their lives.
We do so by pledging ourselves to the future success of this noble institution and by realising the
vision of our motto, ‘that they may have life.’
We will do this by serving humanity, by benefitting society, and by being Citizens of Change. We want our Centenary to be a chance to pause and celebrate this, and also a chance to look forward.
Our University is only as successful as its community – and that is all of you. Therefore I encourage you to get involved with our celebrations, to share your stories, and to engage with events taking place in the region throughout the coming months.
And, most importantly, I want to thank you for your continued support of our proud University.
Our University is only as successful as its community – and that is all of you
Professor Nishan Canagarajah