Principal's Welcome Ceremony

[Speaker 1] Good morning, everybody.  And welcome to the magnificent setting  of McEwan Hall. Here at the University of Edinburgh.  Please be seated. [Sound of people sitting down] So to all new students at the University of Edinburgh. Hello! Welcome.  And congratulations for getting into one of the best universities  in the world, in one of  the world's great cities. You are in for  a fantastically exciting experience. My name is Peter Mathieson, and I have the huge honour  of being the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. It's always exciting to be welcoming a new cohort of students. This is the seventh year in which I've had the pleasure  of doing that. I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to everyone here today. This venue, as I've already said is called the McEwan Hall. We also have students joining us online from various places  across the world. You should all be  enormously proud of yourselves. You've earned a place  at the University of Edinburgh; that, in itself, is  a fantastic achievement. And you've done it despite the multiple challenges that you've faced in recent years. You're joining a thriving community  of almost 50,000 students in an institution that has over 400 years of history. From Nobel laureates and Olympic champions to space explorers and prime ministers. The University of Edinburgh has been influencing history since it opened the gates to  its first students in 1583. We have over  a quarter of a million alumni across the globe. In a few years time, in this very building, you will join them when you graduate... probably. There are a few exams and other things that  you have to navigate first. But the vast majority of you will do that without any trouble. We have every confidence in you, and this is the same venue where we hold our graduation ceremonies. This is a big university, and I know it can sometimes be daunting for new members of our community. Remember that everybody here  wants you to succeed, wants you to enjoy yourselves, and wants you to feel part of the wonderful historic institution that is the University of Edinburgh. The opportunity for you all now is to make the most of this, to shape your time at Edinburgh, to be the best it can be. We're proud to have a very cosmopolitan university  community with recent statistics showing us to be the most international university in the United Kingdom. We have students and staff from around 160 countries. So I would encourage you to embrace all the communities that the university has made up of, and be curious with as many people as you can to find out who  your people will be. Get to know that person  next to you in the classroom, in the library or in the coffee shop. I'm sure they'll appreciate you reaching out to them, and it could well be the  start of a lifelong friendship. Celebrate difference. Respect others who might be very different from you in background, previous experience, views, or ethos. Other people are always interesting. Learn to disagree well. You can learn  from people that you disagree with just as much and possibly more than  from those with whom you agree. But always approach this with an openness to learn and with respect for all. Very importantly,  if you feel that you need help,  please ask for it. To seek help is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength and of self-awareness, and will be part of you becoming the best that you can be. At the University of Edinburgh, we are here for you. We care about your lives, as well as your studies, and we have so many things in place to help you if you ask for it. Similarly,  if you see others that look like they need help,  talk to them. Offer your support. This is the essence of our Edinburgh community. Some of you might be feeling the way that I felt myself when I arrived at University over 40 years ago. I felt that I didn't belong, that others were cleverer and more accomplished than me, that somehow  I didn't deserve to be there. If I can give you one piece  of heartfelt advice, it's to not let that type of feeling  get in your way. You deserve to be here; you've earned your place. Use it, build on it, make yourself the best that you can be and do something to help  to make the world a better place. Please make sure that you also enjoy the city and the region. Edinburgh is a capital city, a historic place  with world heritage sites, packed with culture, music, dance, theatre, and sport, and home to the world's leading festivals. We're surrounded by beautiful countryside, and we're close to the sea  with great places to explore and all within easy reach. Make the most of living here. Make friends, meet people, maybe meet your life partner, as I did, at University. Above else—above all else, enjoy yourselves and form memories that will last you the rest of your lives. Thank you for choosing  the University of Edinburgh, and congratulations on your progress so far. I wish you all the very best for the exciting journey ahead. Thank you,  and welcome to Edinburgh. [Audience applause] We have a number of ways of recognising some of the magnificent achievements of our students, and one of them is through the  Sir William Darling Memorial Prizes. These prizes are awarded to students whose conduct has significantly advanced or enhanced the reputation of the university, for example, through exemplary scholarship or pre-eminence in sport or other activities. Sir William Darling,  after whom the award is named, was a distinguished alumnus of the University himself and previously Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh. This year, five truly exceptional students from across the university have been awarded the Sir William Darling Memorial Prize. They are Euan Stamper,  Lucy Doyle, Megan Keith, Suzanne Fox, and Vivi Lin. More presentations are to be made this afternoon, but this morning, I have the honour of presenting the William Darling Award  to Euan Stamper. Euan is currently an undergraduate  studying Scottish Literature in the School of Literature,  Languages, and Cultures. Euan was nominated for this award in recognition for  their incredible contribution to the University's  widening participation activities for providing generous and valuable support for the Access Programme, inspiring prospective students  to return to study. In addition to excellent scholarship, Euan has been generous with their time, acting as an advisory member of the Principal's Teaching Award Scheme and showing true dedication to ensuring that the University is  a welcoming place for all. Please join me in congratulating Euan  for this award. [Audience applause] [Indistinct chat and laughter] [Audience applause and cheer] Couldn't find Euan right behind me. So next, I'd like to introduce to you Dora Herndon, who is the president of the Edinburgh University Students Association, EUSA. And before Dora speaks to you, I think we're going to see a short video from the Students Association. [Audience Applause] [Speaker 2] Hi.  My name is Dora, and I'm your Edinburgh University Students Association President. I was elected by fellow students  to represent us all at the highest levels of university governance. It's my job  to make sure our voices as students are heard on issues  that matter to us, so that hopefully  you can focus on being a student and  enjoying your time at university. I want you to enter university  with this mindset. We are Edinburgh. The university has a lot of wonderful academic and professional services staff and alumni, but it is us, the students, that make this a university. Without us,  this is all just a research group with the most non-intuitive structure you've ever seen. It is us, the students, here to learn, that transform this into an educational institution. Now, the university is huge  with a lot of people working jobs where they don't necessarily interact with students directly. And they might forget this a little. But that's where the  Students Association comes in. To remind them that we should be at the core of everything this institution pursues. Again,  the university is massive. It's almost inevitable that you'll feel a bit lost at some point in your time here. But when everything feels so big and confusing and you get lost  in a wave of policy and web pages, we're here to help you navigate everything, and to have your back. And most importantly, to make sure you never have to  go through anything alone. Because you won't be alone, you'll have the backing of our entire association, run by students for  the benefit of students like you. And we'll be here for you through the good, and the less good, from now until you find yourself here again for graduation. So, we'll see you then! Thank you. [Audience applause] [Speaker 1] Many thanks Dora.  Now, I call upon Philine Rouwers, as President of the University of Edinburgh Sports Union. [Audience Applause] [Speaker 3] Thank you.  Five years ago, I arrived in Edinburgh for the first time  to start my studies. Then two months ago,  I was walking across this stage, picking up my degree, thinking back to  my first week and all the incredible things  I've experienced in between. So, for me,  it's a great privilege to be a part of your welcome to  the University of Edinburgh Community. I'm Philine Rouwers,  and I'm the Edinburg University Sports Union  President this year. In the sport at Edinburgh Community, we believe that sport has the power to change lives, and my job as Sports Union President is to make sure that as many students as possible can access the life changing power of sport. The powers we believe  sport at Edinburgh provides students are physical, mental, and social health, learning and development opportunities, a sense of belonging and community, and most importantly, a bit of fun. In the Sports Union,  we have over 8,700 members  across 71 different sports clubs. From badminton to basketball, ultimate frisbee to underwater hockey, shinty to skydiving, and so much more, we are sure  to have your favourite sport or one you would love to try. We also have a thriving intramural sport network with 192 teams. It's a great way to play in a casual university-wide sports league with a team from your course, your halls, or a new group of friends. Across our clubs and teams, we have world-class athletes, right through to complete beginners who've never picked up a racket or kicked a ball before. So no matter your skill level  or experience, there is a place for you in our sports union. Our 71 sports are facilitated by 1,000 dedicated student volunteers who give many hours each week, supporting and developing our sports clubs. Their dedication displays  the value our students place on our sports community through the efforts they put into giving back to their clubs and teams. Our sports fair's currently taking place just outside on Bristo Square with representatives from each of our 71 clubs. You can check out the huge array of sporting opportunities and chat to our friendly student volunteers  who are incredibly excited to welcome you into our sport at Edinburgh family. Also, throughout this week,  there are gym tours happening every week, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  at Pleasance Gym, which is one of  our world-class sports facilities, and all the sports taster sessions and welcome events are available to view on the UoE Events app. The best decision I made  when starting here five years ago was to join the football and footsoc clubs. I found a space to relax and recharge away from my studies. I found mentors and  a support network that uplifted me and supported me through my five years  at University. I found my flatmates for the next four years and most of my best friends. Ultimately,  joining the Sports Union five years ago  gave me my community, and I'm so excited for you  to find yours now. So, my advice is to get involved  and find your people, whether that's through  a sports club or a society, and allow yourself to be inspired by what you learn and the people and places around you.  Thank you. [Audience Applause] [Speaker 1] Thank you very much,  Dora and Philine for your hard work on the hard work of all of your teams and for joining us here today. I encourage everybody here  to join in the extracurricular activities that are available to you here, whether they're in the university itself or through student societies or indeed in the city and its communities. I'm please now to call upon Lucy Evans, Deputy Secretary of Students. [Audience Applause] [Speaker 4]  Hi.  Wow. This is incredible. Wonderful to see you all and  to be here today and welcome you to the University for the 2024/25 academic year. Hope you're all doing okay and enjoying this so far. Today marks the first day  of Welcome Week. This is a fantastic opportunity  for you to get to know and start to feel comfortable about  your new surroundings, meet new people, try new things, and get ready to  start in your studies next week. This week will give you the first chance to discover things about university life that you may not have thought about before, with a huge number of events available. And I hope these  include some fun social events. I hope they did over the weekend. You'll find all of our activities on the University of Edinburgh Events app. So I'd encourage you to download it, if you haven't already. This week can sometimes appear quite overwhelming or tiring at times: please pace yourself. The things that you need to attend are those  organised by your school. Otherwise,  do what feels right for you. Every one of you will have a dedicated support person within your school, either a student advisor or PhD supervisor, who is the person you should go to first if you have any questions  or if you need help with anything to do with your studies or things that can be affecting your studies. No problem is too small to share with them, and we are here to support you. If you don't know  who that person is yet, please ask at your school welcome events. We provide our students with a range of support services to help you with university and life  while you're at university. This can include financial support,  for example. Any students who may be experiencing difficulties can access our schemes that can help you with initial worries, or if you're really struggling to pay rent or buy foods. Please don't feel embarrassed or worried, this can happen sometimes. Come and see us  as soon as you can, and we can work out your options. It will be in confidence. Please do visit this venue, McEwan Hall,  on Wednesday or Thursday, lunchtimes this week, where we have the Student Information Fairs, and you can meet some of  the staff that are here to help. They're excited to meet you  and share with you how they can help make the most of your student experience. We're going to show a short video now. So you can hear briefly  from our students and staff with their experience and advice about the support we have for you. So I hope it really comes across from that video and  from the speeches you've heard today that we really hope you have a wonderful time  at the University of Edinburgh. We're thrilled to have you and lucky that you've joined us. We will work together to do our best to overcome any challenges that the year will no doubt raise. But for now, just breath in this wonderful institution and city. We will always do our best for you. So keep in touch with us, with me, with your school, and remember that we are here to help you to achieve what success means for you and help you become one of the amazing Edinburgh graduates making a difference  in the world around us. Thank you for listening and have a great time. [Audience applause] [Speaker 1] Thank you very much, Lucy, and thank you  to our student presidents, Dora and Philine,  and also to everybody else involved in supporting  the ceremony this morning. The ceremony will soon end. I hope it's been helpful and informative. I look forward to welcoming you  back to McEwan Hall, when you graduate—when! And I'm sure this will feel like no time at all. I'd like to also thank everyone who's joined us today here and online, and I'd like to wish all of you every success in your studies. And I hope you  enjoy your time as part of the University of Edinburgh. Thank you for joining us. Good luck, and I envy you starting out your time in Edinburgh. You're going to have a great time,  and you're going to be better for it. And I hope the rest of the world will be better for it as well. So with that, I'm going to bring the ceremony to a close. If those of you that are able  would please stand. [Bagpipes and drums] [Audience chat among themselves  and disperse]