An international anti-poverty campaigner has been named as the new chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).
Professor Muhammad Yunus takes over from Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, who stepped down earlier this week.
Prof Yunus is the founder of the Grameen Bank, a global movement dedicated to alleviating poverty through micro-lending to those with the very least in society which was founded in Bangladesh.
He said: "I would like to thank Glasgow Caledonian University for inviting me to accept this prestigious position. I look forward to building on the fruitful relationship that has already been established and has produced benefits which are helping to improve the quality of life for people in both our countries."
Prof Yunus already has already worked with Glasgow Caledonian University. In March he announced at the university details of a new charity, the Grameen Scotland Foundation.
The foundation, supported by the Scottish Government, is the cornerstone of a micro-finance bank branch in Glasgow designed to alleviate the economic, health and social inequalities in some of Scotland's poorest communities. It will be precisely modelled on the Grameen Bank, which was founded in 1976 by Prof Yunus and now operates in 100 countries, including the US.
In 2010, GCU opened the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Bangladesh to help bring nurse and midwifery training to an international standard in a country which is desperately short of nurses. GCU set up the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health the same year, which researches the impact of microcredit on the health and wellbeing of communities in Scotland and overseas.
Prof Yunus, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters of the University in 2008, delivered the inaugural Magnusson Fellowship Lecture, an annual event which was established in memory of GCU's late chancellor Magnus Magnusson, who was succeeded by Lord Macdonald in 2007.
University principal and vice chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies said: "The university is truly honoured and delighted that Professor Muhammad Yunus has accepted our invitation to become chancellor.
"Professor Yunus and the university have a shared commitment to promoting educational opportunities for talented young people from the most difficult of circumstances."
