Bath Spa University has welcomed a new Chancellor, Bath-based Sharanjit Leyl.
Sharanjit Leyl during a speech at the event | Photo © Bath Spa University
Sharanjit was officially ‘installed’ with a celebration event on Wednesday 8th May in the grounds of the Newton Park campus.
The first female Chancellor of Bath Spa University (BSU), and only the second Chancellor in the institution’s almost 20-year history, Sharanjit will act as an ambassador for the university on a local, national, and global stage.
A former BBC World News anchor, as well as a leading business and politics reporter, her career took her all over the world for almost a quarter of a century.
She now regularly moderates high-level debates for the United Nations, multilateral and financial institutions and advises companies and educational institutions on media strategy and diversity.
Living between Bath and her native Singapore, Sharanjit is also a Trustee for the Bath Fashion Museum and a Board member at the Holburne Museum. She said she is delighted to become part of the Bath Spa University community to represent the values of students and staff worldwide.
Educated in North America, with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Master’s in English, Sharanjit says she understands what a privilege it is to study, have an education and to be curious about the world.
She said: “I stand here because of the socially uplifting power of education that has transformed my life. My late father, Kernail Singh Leyl, was born in Singapore to a poor immigrant family and was one of eight children.
“He excelled academically and made it to the country’s most prestigious school. He did it through sheer grit and hard work.
“So determined was he to be educated, that he studied by streetlamp at a time when Singapore was a developing country and didn’t have reliable electricity coverage.
“Through all his efforts, he won scholarships and became the first person to go to university in my family, which has led to a completely different life for my brothers and me. It’s a story that truly exemplifies the transformative power of education.
She said her father’s story isn’t a far cry from many of the students at Bath Spa University.
“Over 40% of the BSU student population are among the first in their family to go to university, just like my father did. About a quarter of our students are from ethnic minorities, like me, and many more are working their way through university, holding down one or more jobs so they can afford to have an education.
“It shows the sheer grit and determination of the students here at BSU, who are so much like my father, students whom I’m inspired by and so proud to represent and truly embodying the spirit of Bath Spa University – The Sunday Times University of the year for Social Inclusion.”
Bath Spa University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sue Rigby, welcomed Sharanjit to the BSU community during the ceremony, with pledges, music and performances from students and staff.
Sharanjit will be presenting certificates to some students at BSU’s summer graduation ceremonies, as well as attending numerous informal and more formal events throughout the academic year.
