Duke and Duchess of Westminster impressed by University facilities in visit

The VIP visitors were taken on a tour around the Queen’s Park campus in Handbridge, seeing the award-winning Chester Business School, as well as the Wheeler building by the River Dee, exploring facilities in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society. 

Welcomed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons, the Duke and Duchess, Hugh and Olivia Grosvenor, met Professor Kurt Allman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) and Executive Dean Science, Business and Enterprise, and Kirstie Simpson, Dean, Chester Business School, as they spoke about business engagement in the region, the international appeal of the University and the positive international numbers from over 120 countries.

The Duke and Duchess were pleased to meet colleagues and students from the Business School and the International Centre, including Jonathan Pritchard, Executive Director Global, before making their way to Wheeler Building where they were given a brief introduction to the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society and the process of gaining approved medical school status.

While there, Professor Angela Simpson, PVC and Executive Dean, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society, Professor Kate Knight, Associate Dean at Chester Medical School, Sue Roberts and Jenny Stewart showcased the extensive range of simulation and virtual reality suites to the Duke and Duchess. The special guests were also shown an Anatomage table – a life-size interactive tablet displaying 3D graphical representations of human anatomy – by students and Applied Medicine lecturers Dr Andrew Fisher and Matthew Shaw.

The Duke and Duchess were also presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers gathered by the University’s Grounds and Gardens team.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons said: “I was delighted to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Westminster to the University. The visit was an informal opportunity to show them some of the university’s outstanding facilities and to discuss how we contribute positively to the region and beyond.”

The Duke of Westminster said: “It was a pleasure for Olivia and I to visit the University of Chester and see first-hand the amazing facilities and inspiring work taking place there.

“From the Business School’s regional and international engagement to the cutting-edge medical training technologies, the University is playing a vital role in shaping future professionals and contributing to both the local community and global education.”

Main image: The Duke and Duchess are informed how an Anatomage table works.

Image 2: Professor Kurt Allman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) and Executive Dean Science, Business and Enterprise (third from right), and Kirstie Simpson, Dean, Chester Business School (third from left), speak about business engagement.

Image 3: The Duke and Duchess of Westminster meet students from the Business School and the International Centre.

Image 4: The Duke and Duchess of Westminster with Vice-Chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons.