from the principal ....

We will remember them and in their remembrance constantly keep in mind our duty to promote peace through education.

This is the simple inscription on the poppy wreaths which I lay in the city centre and at the First World War Memorial on Dundee Law each year on Remembrance Sunday. Part of the civic service of Remembrance, which is always well supported by staff, students and members of the Graduates' Council, this act remembers the former students and staff of University College, Queen's College and the University of Dundee who have lost their lives and emphasises the importance of education in a troubled world.

This year Remembrance Sunday followed a meeting I had with the President of Rwanda to acknowledge the important part that the Rwanda University Scholarship Scheme - which has its origins in Dundee - has played in rebuilding his country following the genocide of 1994. At the same time James Calderhead returned from a graduation ceremony in Eritrea where he witnessed the work being undertaken by Dundee graduates in advanced nursing studies in tackling childhood vaccination, HIV/AIDS and safe maternity care. Both countries spend infinitesimally small sums on healthcare - $4 per person per annum in the case of Rwanda - and yet both are tackling huge problems in a professional, well thought out way. This was a point picked up by 350 medical students from around the world who met in Dundee in October under the banner of the Medsin National Conference to discuss global health issues and the importance of education in tackling them.

Closer to home I had the pleasure of attending the Scottish Health Awards recently and congratulate the staff of NHS Tayside who scooped five of the sixteen awards including the Nurses' Award to Wilma Hind a senior nurse in ENT and the Doctors' Award to Dr Brian Kidd who runs the Tayside Drug Problem Service. NHS Tayside is increasingly recognised as one of the best health systems in the UK and is a strong partner and supporter of the University. This is in no small part due to the contribution of Peter Bates, the retiring Chair of NHS Tayside and I take this opportunity to thank him publicly for all the support he has given the University. We wish him well for the future.

The University has also had its share of success in recent weeks:

• For the impact of its research over the last 10 years as measured by the number of citations per paper (Institute for Scientific Information Philadelphia) the University of Dundee was first university in the UK and the second in Europe for biology and biochemistry, second in the UK (after Oxford) and fourth in Europe for molecular biology and genetics and first in the UK and first in Europe for pharmacology and toxicology
• The University ranked once again in the world's top four best places to work (outside the USA) in an international poll of scientists carried out by the Scientist magazine.
• Dundee ranked top university for research impact in the Guardian table of UK institutes and was surpassed only by the Institute of Cancer Research.
• We were placed number 171 in the THES-QS World University Rankings 2007 - our first appearance in the top 200 and the fastest rising Scottish university.

Meanwhile Matthew Dalziel & Louise Scullion at DoJ have won their second Saltire Society Arts & Crafts in Architecture Award for their permanent video installation at the new headquarters of HBOS in Edinburgh and they are also the only British artists to be short listed for the prestigious Artes Mundi Prize. In a year described as a "vintage period for history by Scottish writers", Vice Principal Professor Chris Whatley and Dr David Robb celebrated success in this year's Saltire Society Literary Awards.

Looking forward, we have a rich programme of lectures in store including a new annual Christmas Lecture by distinguished Professor of Genetics at University College, London, Professor Steve Jones; an action packed programme for the Discovery Days; and the Saturday Evening Lecture Series which includes author of Wild Swans, Jung Chang speaking on International Women's Day, 8th March

Finally I have noticed that the new University website features the words of Patrick Geddes, "By creating we think, by living we learn". This is a fine motto for an institution committed to excellence in higher learning and research, one that wants to reach out in a positive way to the local, national and international communities and to change peoples' lives and one where the arts, sciences and professional disciplines continue to work together in new and creative ways.

Alan Langlands