Professor Patrick Johnston takes over as new QUB Vice Chancellor

Above is the Demon Headmaster-esque video that accompanied the news that Professor Patrick Johnston has officially taken up his post as President and Vice Chancellor for QUB.

A leading cancer researcher, Prof Johnston, who is originally from Derry, is the 12th vice chancellor in the university’s 168-year history.

We reported last month on his controversially hefty VC salary, which stands at a huge £250K per year. Many students and staff feel that Johnston’s salary is ridiculously high for the post amidst lecturer strikes over unfair pay.

At the time NUS-USI Officer and QUB student Aisling Gallagher told The Tab, “It’s a disgrace, particularly considering Queen’s doesn’t even pay all of their staff a living wage, and considering academic staff have had a 13% pay cut over the last few years. £250k is too much.”

In his opening statements Professor Johnston called Queen’s “one of the finest universities in the UK and Ireland” and announced his goal to make the university even bigger and better.

“Together we are about to embark upon a journey in which it is my goal for Queen’s to become an international powerhouse in higher education. This will not only create significant benefits for Queen’s but for every single citizen in Northern Ireland.

“Queen’s is Northern Ireland’s university. It is a university that is open and accessible to everyone.”

Professor Johnston has been at QUB since 1996 and worked most recently as dean of School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science.