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Lord
Carey of Clifton was speaking at a ceremony in Cheltenham to mark
his appointment.
The
service also marked the renaming of the 93-year-old chapel at the
Francis Close Hall campus as the University Chapel of St Mary and
St Paul.
Click
on the link below to see photos of the colourful ceremony.
Lord
Carey said he was "passionately committed" to higher education,
and he promised to support the work of the university "to the
best of my ability".
Universities
are places where we are shaken through encounter and our boundaries
of knowledge are extended. In a very real sense they should
be an irritant in society, the grit in the oyster that may produce
a pearl.
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| Lord
Carey of Clifton |
He
said: "I am honoured to be chosen as chancellor of a university
that has a long-held Christian tradition reflected in its commitment
to supporting educational opportunities for everyone, regardless
of age, creed or background.
"I
am impressed by the calibre of teaching and research at the university
and the strong links with the community it serves. I look forward
to taking up my official duties and working closely with the university
into the future."
In
a sermon to a congregation that included the Lord Lieutenant of
Gloucestershire, Sir Henry Elwes, and the Right Rev David Bentley,
Bishop of Gloucester, as well as university officials, students
and former students, Lord Carey said he agreed with John Henry Newman
who once said that a good university education "had moral outcomes."
He
went on: "Universities are places where we are shaken through
encounter and our boundaries of knowledge are extended.
Milestone
"In
a very real sense they should be an irritant in society, the grit
in the oyster that may produce a pearl."
The
installation of Lord Carey marked a milestone in the history of
the former Gloucestershire College of Higher Education which became
a university in October 2001.
The
history of the constituent colleges from which it is formed stretches
back over 150 years.
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| The
university crest on Lord Carey's official robes |
Dame
Janet Trotter, who is now principal and vice-chancellor, said: "The
appointment of Lord Carey as our chancellor will support us as we
journey forward as an institution.
"He
epitomises and manifests the values to which we aspire. His support
and counsel will be invaluable as we look forward."
Students
Union president Caroline Leighton said: "It's a great honour
to have such a high-profile person as our chancellor".
Lord
Carey's first formal act as chancellor will be to confer awards
at the degree ceremonies to be held on November 5 at Cheltenham
Town Hall.
He
will present his inaugural lecture in April 2004 on the theme of
values in higher education.
If
you would like to comment on this or any other story in this section
get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
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