Join Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell KCB and our talented guests, mezzo-soprano Valerie Reid and the After Dusk choir, as we welcome the festive season and look forward to the new year.
2020 has been a year that none of us will ever forget. It started like any other; with a whirlwind of activity in and around the University. In January, we welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP) and National Glass Centre. Popular Visiting Professor of Journalism and Associate Editor of the Mirror, Kevin Maguire, took part in the BBC Radio 4 topical debate programme Any Questions in February, hosted at the University. Our new School of Medicine was officially opened by Chancellor Emeli Sandé MBE in March.
As the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic became apparent, we were presented with new challenges which we faced with tenacity, ingenuity and compassion. We are immensely proud that University of Sunderland AMAP staff created door openers to help avoid the spread of Covid-19, and that 40 student nurses joined the fight against Covid-19 in hospitals accross the North East. Not to mention our hard-working academic and support staff, who were faced with the not-insignificant challenge of moving and delivering all teaching online.
As the year draws to a close, Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell KCB reflects on these challenges in his Christmas message, with a special performance by Valerie Reid and the After Dusk choir.
"Whether together or apart, and in midst of the inevitable busyness of Christmas, take a moment to talk to those who mean the most to you, and treasure their love and friendship. Appreciate the world around you and do all that you can to strengthen the ties that bind us together. May I wish you all peace and goodwill this Christmas. Stay well, and stay safe."
Sir David Bell KCB
University of Sunderland Vice-Chancellor
Published: 14 December 2020