President pays tribute

Sir Emyr Jones Parry addressing the last of the 2011 graduation congregations.

Sir Emyr Jones Parry addressing the last of the 2011 graduation congregations.

15 July 2011

Sir Emyr Jones Parry, President of Aberystwyth University has paid tribute to Professor Noel Lloyd, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, who today officiated at his last degree ceremony before retiring at the of July.

Speaking to graduates from the University’s Institute of Mathematics and Physics, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Sir Emyr said: “I would like to pay tribute to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Noel Lloyd who will retire at the end of this month after 36 years of remarkable and loyal service to the University. He leaves with our best wishes and thanks for all he has contributed to the success of this University.”

Since his appointment as Vice-Chancellor in 2004 Professor Lloyd has officiated at 56 degree ceremonies.

Sir Emyr Jones Parry’s address.

Graduation July 2011

Annwyl Gyfeillion – Ladies and Gentlemen

I’m Emyr Jones Parry, and I have the privilege of being the President of Aberystwyth University.  Although last week this was brought into question. I was the guest at a dinner, and met at the door by the host, who said ‘Come in and meet the President of Aberystwyth University’. I said ‘I am the President of Aberystwyth University’. ‘Never mind’ he replied, ‘Come and meet him anyway’.
Croeso cynnes iawn i’r Seremoni hon sy’n achlysur o arwyddocâd arbennig ym mywyd y rhai ohonoch sy’n cael eich cydnabod heddiw, uchafbwynt sawl blwyddyn o waith caled ac ymdrech. Bu eich cyfnod yn Aberystwyth yn un ffurfiannol ichi, yn gyfnod sydd, o bosib, wedi newid eich bywyd. Gallwch ymfalchïo yn eich cyflawniad.

A very warm welcome to this Ceremony which is a very special day for us all, and for the graduands, the culmination of many years of hard work and effort. Your time in Aberystwyth has been a formative period. 

Your achievement we celebrate today is due in part to the support, the sacrifice, and the love of your families and friends – so this is a day for them as well as for you.  I would now ask you, the graduands, to stand and face your supporters, and show your appreciation of that support.

The staff and officers of this university are delighted to have played their part in your success and they too proudly salute your achievements.  We wish you every fulfilment and good wish as you go on to a new stage of your lives, with a fresh page on which to write a new chapter. 

Take with you into your careers the ability to continue to learn, to question and scrutinise ideas with rigour, to apply disciplined thought.

Take with you a curiosity, an openness to new ideas, a growing self discipline and a self confidence justified by hard work and achievement.

Take with you all the best that you have learned of life here in Aberystwyth among diverse communities of people, respecting differences but also sharing common purposes. 

Take with you also and value the friendships you have made here and which will endure. 

Take with you also the benefits of the particular experience of studying in a Welsh University. Aberystwyth University will always fulfil its duty to Wales and its language and culture. This University is firmly rooted in Wales but connected internationally, and determined to compete internationally.

Ewch gyda chi hefyd â budd y profiad penodol o astudio mewn prifysgol yng Nghymru, a’r dimensiwn arbennig a roddodd hynny i chi. Y mae Prifysgol Aberystwyth wedi bod erioed, ac mae’n parhau i fod, yn hollol ymwybodol o’i dyletswydd diamod tuag at Gymru fel cenedl a thuag at yr iaith Gymraeg a’i diwylliant.

You are graduating today from a first class, internationally competitive university. This University is firmly rooted in Wales but connected internationally. We recruit globally and locally, broadening our intake to the maximum. Our partnerships extend – in Wales, in the United Kingdom and beyond. We work with others to intensify the academic experience. We study key issues like food security and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. This is a university with tradition, addressing the key challenges of the 21st century, and changing as necessary in response.

Looking back to the distant past and my own graduation, let me share some impressions which I’ve formed in the interim:
- You never know where you can end up. Aspiration and ambition are vital and can yield surprising achievement. Scientific research is in part study to find the unexpected. So set your sights high.
- Hard work, planning and perseverance do bring their rewards in a merit driven society.
- Being positive and enjoying what you do produces its own satisfaction and helps us all, whatever we do, to make a difference.
- Change is always with us and this requires us to respond flexibly and be adaptable to different circumstances.
- Despite the challenges and difficulties, there are a myriad of opportunities and we enjoy privileges relative to many of the world’s population. Most of us here today have our basic rights, political and economic, safeguarded. But that carries obligations on us in return, to protect and cherish those rights.
- The sins of life are more often sins of omission than of commission. It’s those opportunities which we had, but failed to take which we look back on sadly. Regret is a negative emotion to be avoided where possible.

Wrth derfynu, hoffwn dalu teyrnged i’r Is-Ganghellor, Yr Athro Noel Lloyd a fydd yn ymddeol ar ddiwedd y mis hwn ar ôl 36 o flynyddoedd o wasanaeth eithriadol i’r Brifysgol. Y mae’n gadael gyda’n dymuniadau gorau a’n diolch am y cwbl a gyfrannodd i lwyddiant y Brifysgol hon.

In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Noel Lloyd who will retire at the end of this month after 36 years of remarkable service to the University. He leave with our best wishes and thanks for all he has contributed to the success of this University.

And now to the stars of this day. Indulge yourselves fully in the thrill of your success – celebrate in the company of those who delight in your achievement.

Boed i heddiw, i bob un ohonoch, fod yn ddydd o lawen chwedl ynghyd a’r rhai sydd yn golygu gymaint i chi.

Have a memorable day and enjoy yourselves as you leave with the best wishes of the University.  As Alumni, your relationship with Aberystwyth will continue.  Be proud of being one of its graduates, and keep in touch. There will always be a welcome for you here. 

Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.