Former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal unveiled as new Chancellor of the University of Manchester
14.10.2022 - 13:47
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Nazir Afzal, the former North West chief crown prosecutor, has been officially unveiled as the new Chancellor of the University of Manchester. In a ceremony on Wednesday (October 12), Mr Afzal OBE officially took over as the University's chancellor, succeeding from Lemn Sissay.
He was officially unveiled as part of Foundation Day, an event celebrated every October, which marks the coming together of the Victoria University of Manchester and The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2004. The news of Mr Afzal taking over the seven year position was originally announced in April.
Mr Afzal brought the Rochdale grooming gang to justice and was honoured with an OBE in 2005 for his community work and career with the Crown Prosecution Service. He was most recently Chief Executive of the country's Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and during his 24-year career has prosecuted some of the highest highest profile criminal cases in the country, advised on others and led nationally on issues such as violence against women and girls, child sexual abuse and honour based violence.
READ MORE: Former chief crown prosecutor named new Chancellor of The University of Manchester
Mr Afzal, a Manchester resident, is the current Chair of Hopwood Hall FE College in Rochdale, as well as sitting on the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Despite these high profile jobs and various accolades, his appointment to this role came as a "shock", he told the MEN, and is a "huge privilege" to him.
"It's an humungous privilege," he said. "I can't get over the fact that they asked me, I'm extremely honoured to take on the role."
One of his main ambitions is to bring the University "closer to the people"