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Chancellor honours outgoing vice-chancellor

1 July 2009

Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel and incoming Vice-Chancellor Professor Ed Byrne with outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins.

Monash Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel has paid tribute to the contribution of Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins who this month concludes his six-year tenure at the helm of Australia’s largest university.

Dr Finkel said Professor Larkins helped build the University into a thriving centre for innovative thinking and that was widely-recognised as a "wonderful international university."

"Under Richard's innovative approach, which has built on Monash's unique presence across four continents, the University's education and research agenda has flourished," Dr Finkel said.

"We've seen the creation of new facilities such as the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute and the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy that will enable leading investigators to perform research at Monash that they could not easily conduct elsewhere.

"The launch last year of the Monash Passport articulated a vision of university education committed to excellence and the production of graduates engaged with communities both at home and around the world.

"Of course, all of these achievements have been group efforts. This is absolutely true, but nevertheless I give credit to Richard for deliberately surrounding himself with a highly talented, independently motivated group of executive and academic leaders."

Dr Finkel thanked Professor Larkins for this vision of Monash as a university that is distinct and charts its own course.

"On behalf of staff and students I wish Richard the fondest of farewells - I have little doubt that in retirement he will continue to exhibit all of those qualities that have marked his successful term as vice-chancellor," Dr Finkel said.

Read Dr Finkel's full tribute to Professor Larkins at the Alumni E-News website.