AS I approach my third month as Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, I thought this was an excellent opportunity to give an insight into what it is like to lead this very special institution.

The first thing to say is, of course, that life has been very full.

There is so much happening here on a daily basis and it is truly an honour to lead the university.

Our 18,000 students, based both here in Oxford and further afield, constantly amaze us with their intelligence and ingenuity.

Their generosity is also very apparent and manifests itself in a range of activities such as volunteering and community projects.

We are very proud to employ more than 2,500 members of staff which is equivalent to one in every 50 jobs in the city.

The commitment and expertise of colleagues is fundamental to our ongoing reputation for excellent teaching, research and support.

I am committed to ensuring that the university continues with this success, much of which is due to the excellent leadership of my predecessor, Prof Janet Beer.

With the General Election fast approaching and possible changes to the higher education sector, I am confident that Oxford Brookes is well positioned to continue to excel, whatever the outcome in May.

There is certainly much to look forward to in the year ahead.

Our 150th birthday this year is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate what is special about Oxford Brookes.

A series of events, exhibitions and initiatives are continuing to take place and I hope many readers will be joining us in celebrating our anniversary.

Coinciding with this, Oxford Brookes has this year become the lead sponsor for Cowley Road Carnival.

The theme for the carnival, which takes place on Sunday July 5, will be “Creating Our Future”

which reflects the university’s dedication to equipping students not only for their own future careers, but also for their wider contribution to society.

We are extremely proud to be so involved with this year’s Cowley Road Carnival as it has firmly established itself as an important cultural event for the city.

The East Oxford community is key to Oxford Brookes and this is something I have felt in the four years I have been working at the university.

This month we are delighted to be welcoming Dr Katherine Grainger CBE as our new Chancellor.

She will officially take on the role at a very special event on Friday when we will be joined by our three previous chancellors, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow and Director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti CBE.

The occasion will also see us holding a ceremony to mark the official opening of the John Henry Brookes Building.

This award-winning space on our Headington Campus is an amazing architectural feat which adds to the feel of the area.

It is open to the local community and I know many of our neighbours are using the building, attending our open lectures and using our library, shops, sports facilities and other services such as the BrookesBus, dentist and GP facilities.

We recently announced our 10-year estates investment plan which will see further exciting improvements to our learning and working environments.

We look forward to engaging with our local community over the coming months and years in developing our plans.

I have studied and worked in Oxfordshire at various points in my life and I am proud to be involved in a number of initiatives which are helping to improve the lives of those living the county.

Independent studies show that Oxford Brookes makes a contribution of more than £1m a day to the UK economy and much of this benefit is felt in the county and city that we are proud to call our home.

As a member of the Local Enterprise Partnership Board, I am passionate about championing and developing the Oxfordshire economy.

I am also a board member for Venturefest Oxford which offers new and growing businesses, investors and innovators connections to support, services and opportunities.

I remain excited about what the future holds for the university and I look forward to sharing this with our wider community.