 It is a great honour to take up the role of Chancellor of Australian National University. Without doubt, ANU is world-class in terms of education and research and is our nation's leading university. I'm particularly excited to be working closely with the university community, the staff, faculty, students, the Distinguished Council, including the Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate, Professor Brian Schmidt. And together we will continue to build on the long and successful foundations created by so many individuals since 1946. The world is facing unprecedented change. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, with technology changing everything we do, geostrategic and geopolitical shifts and the changing demographics. ANU is playing a vital role in the research and development to create a better world and is equipping our students with the skills and abilities and knowledge to make a significant contribution to that world. ANU's strong links globally and in our region make it one of Australia's most important institutions and I look forward to working with it as we continue to support and further our national interest.