Yesterday evening colleagues and I attended the promotional launch of the 'neutral' test match between Pakistan and Australia, to be held in Leeds next July. This will be a showcase event for international cricket, the Headingley Carnegie Stadium and our brand new Headingley Pavilion. More importantly it is a signal of friendship, tolerance and understanding between England, Australia and Pakistan and a mutual desire that Pakistani Test Cricket should continue on an international stage, despite the difficulties being experienced at home.  Next July promises a wonderful festival of cricket in Leeds, following on from our own festival of graduation ceremonies.

Also yesterday, Leeds Met received an Award of Appreciation from the Dialogue Society in London at a ceremony addressed by MPs Shahid Malik, Bill Rammell, Julian Lewis and Chris Huhne and attended by Ambassadors and members of the House of Lords. The Society exists to promote understanding between different faiths, cultures and peoples.

This week I am supporting our World-Wide Horizons Festival promoted by the Leslie Silver International Faculty. This annual festival gives students and staff a flavour of the unique international opportunities available through the University. Many students have enriched both their lives and their employability skills by embracing the many opportunities available through our Internationalisation Strategy.

I particularly welcome this week's Assessment, Learning & Teaching Reflection with its focus on improving the quality of the student experience. It is good that this subject was the focus of the recent Scheme/Course/Award Leaders' Conference and that the Students' Union were fully involved. This demonstrates that our renewed commitment to quality enhancement is being fully enacted by colleagues who can make a real difference every working day.

My congratulation this week goes to Leeds Met graduate Lottie Taylor whose volunteering efforts were recognised by Yorkshire Young Achievers Award. To combine endless hours of volunteering, initially through the Students' Union, along with achieving a first class honours in primary education is a fantastic achievement. Well done Lottie.

Congratulations too to the Leeds Met Women's Tennis Team who recently became the European Student Tennis Champions. The men's team also performed excellently in achieving third place.  Our overall sporting successes go on and on. Is it possible to improve on our 2008/09 position of 3rd place in the BUCS overall sporting league? Can we maintain our position as the most successful women's sports performance institution within BUCS?

Finally I congratulate John Bale on being awarded the title of Emeritus Professor. Professor Bale retired from the University around seven years ago when he was Dean of the Faculty of Health & Environment. Since that time one of his roles has been as a very active Leeds City Councillor. John has now returned to undertake a range of scholarly activities with colleagues in Constructional Studies.