Over the past month, the conflict in Ukraine has dominated world headlines and received widespread condemnation.

Last week saw a welcome return to in-person Graduation Ceremonies as well as Celebration Events for those who graduated during COVID restrictions.

The new academic year is well underway and it is wonderful to see so many of our students and staff back on campus.

As the 2020-21 academic year draws to a close, I would like to thank you all for your efforts and commitment during the year.

The recent easing of lockdown measures is welcome news as we all begin to look forward to returning to some kind of normality.

It’s hard to believe that we are already in March and, like much of 2020, the first couple of months of 2021 have been an extremely busy period for all our staff.

This is my final update of 2020 in what has been an unprecedented and challenging year for everyone.

As we are now nearly mid-way through our first semester of the 20/21 academic year, it is important to take stock and reflect on the continuing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to our University community.

WATCH: A video message from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer.

Over the last few weeks, more staff have been returning to campus with the re-opening of a number of key student-facing facilities, including the McClay Library and the Graduate School.

As the University prepares for the new academic year and transitioning out of lockdown, we are currently working on detailed measures, guidance and policies to ensure the campus remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work and study.

WATCH: A video message from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer.

As we continue to deal with the challenges of COVID-19, I wanted to reassure all staff that we are continuing to operate University business as best we can, whilst also planning for the future in this uncertain environment.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the past few weeks have seen unprecedented change in how we work and live.

Last week, the University was presented with a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our work on Shared Education by The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

The New Year started with the announcement that Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton is our new Chancellor.

As we approach the end of 2019, it has been a busy few weeks for our University, with much to celebrate.

At the end of October, the University hosted a major event in New York which showcased the work and talent of the Seamus Heaney Centre.

The start of the new academic year is always an exciting time for our new and returning students.

We have just finished this year’s Summer Graduation Ceremonies when over 4,000 students received their degrees.

A few weeks ago, I visited India along with colleagues from Marketing, Recruitment, Communications and Internationalisation, Faculties and the Graduate School.

Another major milestone has been reached in our journey towards the first City Deal for Northern Ireland.

In last month’s update, I highlighted the recent launch of the Students’ Union campaign to tackle mental health issues facing students.

Last week we celebrated the achievements of staff from across the University at the annual Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony.

Queen’s Graduations took place last week with almost 2,000 students graduating over the course of two days and five ceremonies.

The recent announcement by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, that a £350 million investment has been secured for a Belfast Region City Deal is great news for the entire region.

It has been a memorable week for our university with the award of an honorary degree to Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.

This is the first of my regular updates aimed at keeping you informed about the latest news from my office and key issues for the University.