HM Queen joins 40th Anniversary Celebrations

The University's new £15 million teaching block was given the Royal seal of approval in July when Her Majesty The Queen performed the official opening of the building at Heathfield.

A crowd of wellwishers braved the rain to greet Her Majesty as she arrived on campus. Her Majesty was then welcomed to the University by the Chancellor, Lord Patel, and the Principal, Sir Alan Langlands, before the opening ceremony for the new teaching block.

Staged in one of the building's expansive lecture theatres, the ceremony included a deeply affecting performance from 12-year-old Rachel McArthur and members of staff from Education, Nursing, Social Work and Community Education, using a technique called `sculpting'.

This technique uses the body to convey emotions and narrative. The performance, titled `Anne's Story', used a narrative concerning a young girl who is losing her dad to cancer to outline the ways in which education, work, community education and nursing can all work together in the community.

Her Majesty then unveiled a commemorative stone to mark the official opening.

The new £15million teaching block forms a new northern gateway to the University campus and offers one of the most advanced teaching facilities in the country. The building provides new teaching accommodation for the School of Education, Social Work & Community Education, which is being relocated from the Gardyne Road campus, and for the School of Nursing & Midwifery.

The building houses 40 teaching rooms of various sizes all equipped with the most advanced audio visual teaching aids, and four lecture theatres are provided, including a major 350-seat theatre.

Once the ceremony at the teaching block was concluded Her Majesty then attended a service of celebration and thanksgiving marking the University's 40th anniversary.

Sir Alan told Her Majesty, "It is an honour to welcome you to the University - almost 40 years to the day since we were incorporated by Royal Charter on 1st August 1967."

"For forty years the University of Dundee has committed itself to the advancement and diffusion of knowledge, wisdom and understanding through its teaching and research."

"Today, as knowledge becomes ever more specialised, its integration has never been so crucial. Looking forward, we will encourage our students to understand the relationship between what they study and what they experience. We will continue to research without preconceptions, working across different cultures, communities and disciplines and always for the public good."

"We look forward with confidence and enthusiasm, ready to build on all that has been achieved so far."

Following the Thansgiving ceremony, led by University Chaplain Rev Fiona Douglas, Her Majesty was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Amy Stevenson and then took time to speak to the children from the University nursery who had gathered to meet her.