Queen guitarist Brian May turns university Chancellor

London, Apr 15 : Queen guitarist Brian May is going back to university - not as a student but as the Chancellor to preside over it.

The rocker has been formally appointed as the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University and would be taking over the job from none other than former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie.

As part of his duties, the 60-year-old, who studied Astrophysics at Imperial College, London, would have to preside over graduation ceremonies and represent the university on special occasions.

Though he had put his academic career on hold to play with Queen earlier but it was only last year that he was bestowed with an honorary fellowship for his contribution to astronomy and services to the public understanding of science.

And now he has been installed as the Chancellor at St George's Hall in Liverpool amidst a gathering of 500 people where he said that he was "proud" to take up the role and insisted people were "never too old" to start learning.

He certainly fits the bill as a perfect role model for the students as he completed a BSc in his 20s, and even used Liverpool John Moores' remote telescope in the Canary Islands to complete his PhD. After almost 3 decades, in 2007, he completed his PhD thesis, A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud and was awarded his doctorate.

Recently the guitarist added to his credentials a book, 'Bang! The Complete History of the Universe', which he co-authored with Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott.

"I am very proud to be the new Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, and I am particularly touched that so many staff and students are able to be here today. I am passionate about education and lifelong learning. It really doesn't matter how old you are or what stage of your life you are in, it is never, ever too late to start learning. I proved that by completing my PhD, 30 years after I started it. As Chancellor, I hope that my personal experiences will act as an inspiration for others," BBC quoted him, as saying in a statement released by the university.

Vice Chancellor of LJMU, Professor Michael Brown, said: "The ethos of this university is summed up in three simple words: Dream, Plan, Achieve. No-one embodies this more perfectly than our new Chancellor, Dr Brian May. While gaining global recognition as a musician, and supporter of the performing arts, he never lost sight of his dream, his passion for astronomy and science."

He added: "There is no doubt that Brian May will be a real champion for LJMU and a tremendous role model for our students. We are delighted to welcome him as our new Chancellor today."

ANI