New University Chancellor Dame Jenny Harries officially installed at cathedral ceremony
Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Jenny Harries DBE DL, has spoken about her honour at being officially installed as Chancellor at the University of Chester.
Succeeding former City of Chester MP Gyles Brandreth, the new Chancellor was installed during one of the University’s graduation ceremonies at Chester Cathedral earlier this month.
During her speech, Dame Jenny spoke of being honoured to be Chancellor at the fifth oldest higher educational establishment in England, with its founders in 1839 inc
She said: “It seems almost impossible to me that I should be standing here assuming the role of Chancellor at this institution, whose origins extend back two centuries, and to do so in such a wonderfully historic building and surrounded by such glorious pomp and ceremony, when many years ago my initial plan in life was simply to go to university and do a course that would help people.”
Dame Jenny added the “highly successful modern University” had “retained its strong foundation in Education”, with “an award-winning Business School, a Law School, a Medical School” and “innovative courses" such as the sustainability education linked with Chester Zoo, as well as its International alumni numbering more than 100,000.
As a doctor and public health professional, Dame Jenny added: “I am clearly itching – although that might not be a very healthy idiom to use – to work with Chester Medical School, where I already see developing a unique programme of community-focused medical training, so needed by global communities, and which I believe Chester can own uniquely and excel in.”
An honorary Professor of Public Health at the University since 2019, Dame Jenny concluded her installation speech by telling the audience: “Together we already live a proud tradition in this university and together we have the opportunity to deliver a social mission – through every department, every graduate and every student. I am really looking forward to writing the next chapter with you all.”
Dame Jenny has made major contributions to several significant recent UK health protection responses, including Ebola, Zika, the first mpox case, MERS and the Novichok attacks at Salisbury. She was made an OBE in 2016 for services to Public Health and a DBE in 2022 for services to Health.
From 2021, she was the founding Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a large multi-disciplinary science and evidence-based organisation tasked with protecting the nation from external threats to health. Here she launched two global firsts in which she takes deep pride: a Centre for Climate and Health Security, and a Health Equity for Security Strategy – topics deeply aligned with the ambitions of the University.
Dame Jenny has taken over the role from Gyles Brandreth Hon D Litt, who succeeded the Duke of Westminster in March 2017 as Chancellor. He will remain firmly part of the University of Chester in the role of Chancellor Emeritus.