Senator George Mitchell's international ambassadorial role as Chancellor of Queen's has proved invaluable to the University, Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson, has said.

Professor Gregson was speaking ahead of the University's annual Charter Day Dinner last night at which Senator Mitchell was guest of honour.

Professor Gregson said: "Queen's is at the centre of the community it serves, as underlined by its role as a training ground for the professions, its outreach to local schools, its work as a patron of the arts and its links with industry and commerce.

"By enhancing their international credentials, universities create a better learning environment for their students, and forge connections and build relationships which are crucial for the economic and cultural development of their local communities.

"Senator Mitchell's contribution in this respect is immense. His reputation as an international statesman and a public speaker gives him an entree to arenas when he can act as a powerful ambassador for Northern Ireland and the University."

The University's Charter Day Dinner, organised by Queen's Graduates' Association, is one of the social highlights of the University year. It celebrates the formal founding of Queen’s University, which took place with the granting of the Charter on 2 December 1908.

(MB/SP)