University appoints first female Regius Chair
Professor Anna Dominiczak OBE has become the first woman to be appointed to one of the thirteen Regius Professorships available at the University of Glasgow.
Prof. Dominiczak is Head of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences and Director of the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre.
The Regius Professorships were created by the monarchy in the UK’s ancient institutions. A Royal Warrant signed by the Queen and Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond approved the granting of Regius Chair of Medicine to Prof. Dominiczak.
Prof. Dominiczak said of the award: “Great honours like this are a mixture of great pleasure and satisfaction as well as a feeling of responsibility to deliver, to follow the great examples from the past.
“I hope that having a woman Regius Chair of Medicine will help my younger colleagues to select academic medicine as their aim and aspiration early in their careers.”
Prof. Dominiczak’s future aims are to make a difference in cardiovascular prevention, to promote young academics and build on the excellence already achieved by the Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre.
Suspended visa applications for Indian students
The UK Border Agency has suspended all applications for student visas in parts of the Indian subcontinent, citing fears that many may not be genuine.
The decision comes after visa application numbers jumped from 1,800 in the last three months of 2008, to 13,500 during the same period in 2009.
The move will affect students applying from north India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The decision will also affect continuing Indian students currently at universities in Britain.
The UK Border Agency previously announced tougher new rules on obtaining a visa to study in the UK, including a minimum level of English language ability and tighter restrictions on the hours foreign students will be able to work.
But the new guidelines indicate that special status will be awarded to “highly trusted sponsors”, including publicly funded universities, such as Glasgow University.
SRC President Laura Laws encouraged students with visa problems to get in touch: “Any student who needs to talk about their visa should contact the International Office, which is located in the Fraser Building.”
The decision to suspend visa applications will be reviewed at the end of February.
