This year’s Vice-Chancellor’s annual address took place on October 1st in Senate House. Throughout he stressed the responsibility which the University of Cambridge and its academics have towards the national and international common good, summarizing that “our responsibilities lie deep and wide.”

Professor Borysiewicz stressed the need for close involvement with the developing world, referring to Cambridge’s various commitments to the academic mentoring of African researchers.

The Cambridge in Africa programme, which involves more than 100 academics and staff, as well as the Africa Partnership for Research Excellence and the Alborada Cambridge-Africa Research Fund, were examples cited by Sir Leszek.

The Cambridge Vice-Chancellor also underlined the steps taken this year to fulfil the University’s obligation to primary and secondary education. Under Sir Leszek the University of Cambridge was awarded funding for a University of Cambridge Primary School in Northwest Cambridge and for a University Technical College. The importance of programmes like HE+, which fosters the academic skills of regional schoolchildren, was also highlighted.

Quoting the 2014 Cambridge prospectus, Sir Leszek made it clear that successful applicants to the university would not be chosen on any grounds except academic ability. In the words of the Vice-Chancellor: “the education we offer is truly accessible to all with the academic ability and potential to succeed here. There is no ‘right background’... no right school to have attended, no hidden test of social and economic circumstances.”

The Vice-Chancellor also outlined Cambridge’s ambitious capital programme, which involves the construction of new facilities for the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Department, and the Maxwell Centre as well as developments at Addenbrooke’s Campus.

The need for financial investment to carry out such projects was also emphasised. Sir Leszek admitted that with the financial pressures of the economic downturn, the University cannot simply depend on government or institutional funding and instead has to turn to philanthropy. He described philanthropic partnerships as the “cornerstone of the University of Cambridge”.

Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz was installed as the 345th Vice-Chancellor on 1 October 2010. Prior to his installation as Vice-Chancellor, Sir Leszek was the Principal of the Faculty of Medicine and later the Deputy Rector of Imperial College London, before becoming the Chief Executive of the UK’s Medical Research Council in 2007.

As Vice-Chancellor, Sir Leszek is the principal academic and administrative officer of the university and is responsible for securing the university’s finances and carrying out ceremonial and civic duties.

He is also the main representative of the university within the UK and overseas. Recently Sir Leszek travelled to India for the sixth time as part of his ongoing campaign to forge closer ties between Indian and Cambridge-based academics.