It was particularly pleasing to be asked to 'moderate' the debate on Aid to Africa: is it necessary? between 4 PhD candidates from the School of International Relations.

My own postgraduate research was conducted at the Centre for African Studies in Edinburgh University and I have direct experience of the issue from my work with Oxfam and Friends of the International. A packed audience in the New Arts Building heard speeches and responses which were by turn passionate, reflective, challenging and provocative. Congratulations to Ashley, Gladys, Patrick and Steven.

Got together with the newly elected Students' Association and Athletic Union sabbaticals to hear from them directly about their priorities for next year and to discuss the kinds of issue which I have been involved with as Rector which relates to their roles.

Major items highlighted by Owen and Siena like the Union and Library re-developments and the 600th Anniversary priorities will feature on the University Court agenda. I was pleased to hear from Siena that the work done by her predecessors to bring together class reps will be carried forward; from Alastair about his plans to link societies and careers; and from Andy about his plans to encourage greater recognition of sporting achievement by students and also to promote competitive sporting events to attract spectators. Phil of course has been re-elected on the basis of his successful track record from this year.

My advice to them - hit the ground running on 1 July and focus on their priorities, as their term of office will go by all too quickly.

Kevin Dunion is currently seeking a new Rector's Assessor to serve until October 2011. The current Assessor, James Shield, will be completing his term at the end of this semester.

This is an excellent opportunity for a student to gain an insight into the workings of the University at its highest level and to aid and advise a committed working Rector.

If you're organising an event, campaigning on an issue or need some advice, remember that the Rector is here to help.

The University Rector, Kevin Dunion, will be in the Main Bar of the Union from 2pm - 3pm this Wednesday 14th April, so feel free to come and have a chat.

Find out more here.

One of my favourite events last year was to be on the judging panel for the Half Cut film Festival so I was delighted when Charlotte Walsh, President of Rogue Productions, and Julz Newton, Vice President, asked me to join the panel for this year's big event which takes place at the New Picture House on 22 April.

The Facebook event can be found here. Details on submissions can be found at the On The Rocks Festival website.

The Sustainable Development Society asked me introduce one of the speakers contributing to their lecture series and I gladly chose to welcome Dr Tony Jackson of Dundee University. I recall Tony as an lively lecturer recently returned from working in Africa whose classes I attended when I studied economics at St Andrews. Our paths crossed again many years later when I worked for Friends of the Earth and Tony by that time had moved to Dundee to set up the environmental management course. So it was a pleasure to be back in School II to hear about his current work on strategic environmental assessment and sustainability appraisal.

STAR - St Andrews' student radio station - has been off air whilst upgrades have been made to the technical equipment and software. So I was pleased to be invited to look round the refurbished studio and to see it once again a hive of activity with an unfeasibly large number of people crammed inside.

You can listen to STAR or download podcasts at www.standrewsradio.com.

I came across a bunch of Officer Cadets pedalling like mad but going nowhere outside of the Union. They are from A Squadron Tayforth UOTC and were raising money for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Passers-by were asked give a donation and to guess how many miles they would clock up on the exercise bikes. In the end they cycled 209 miles - the same distance as from St Andrews to Darlington they tell me (though I doubt you would want to cycle there from here) and raised nearly £400.

Well done to them and to (Junior Under Officer) David Mason who led the thirty strong team.

Miriam Rune, President of the Scarlet Gown Society, came along to a Meet the Rector event to ask me to deliver the inaugural lecture at the launch event of the new society.

It aims to maintain university traditions especially promoting the wearing of the traditional gown at day-to day university events and to make the gown more affordable (in part by asking alumni to donate their gowns to be borrowed by current students - which is why the society has officers with splendid titles such as Chief Collector of Gowns).

I talked about the role of the Rector, which is one of the most traditional in the university, and how in the 19th century the legislation which set up the University Court also provided that it should be presided over by the Rector. Although that function remains to the present day it has regularly come under threat and so the Scottish Rectors Group has been established to provide a forum for mutual support and to encourage effective Rectorship. In that way traditional roles adapt to challenge.

The traditions of the university are part of the fabric of our institution and deserve to be celebrated and nurtured. However, we should guard against our traditions being appropriated or distorted to cause exclusion or division in our increasingly heterogeneous university community.

After a series of very busy and varied sessions during the first semester, here are the dates for the second semester's open surgeries.

All surgeries take place from 2pm-3.30pm in the Union Main Bar unless otherwise indicated. Click here for more information.

Wednesday 10th February
Wednesday 24th February *
Wednesday 10th March
Wednesday 14th April
Tuesday 27th April

(*3pm-4.30pm)