BOLTON School Old Boy Professor Nigel Slater has been appointed as a pro-vice-chancellor to one of the world's leading universities.

He will have responsibility for the University of Cambridge activities concerning 'enterprise and the region'.

He will also support the vice-chancellor and help to take forward the university’s strategy and development.

Professor Slater said: “It stems from all I learned in my formative years at Bolton School

“This is an exciting role since it will exploit the enterprise experience that I have gained throughout my career to ensure that the university’s research can have maximum impact in terms of wealth creation and employment, and because a significant number of regional issues are key to the university’s ongoing success in the future.”

Professor Slater will take up his new post in January next year.

He is currently head of the department of chemical engineering and biotechnology, and is professor of chemical engineering and a fellow of Fitzwilliam College.

Under his leadership, the department was judged top of its grouping in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, a research quality exercise which is run by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It is one of just four departments in Cambridge to achieve this level of excellence.

Professor Slater said: “This is thrilling for me as I can now leave a cast-iron legacy of my stewardship as I move my primary attention from my own scientific research in the twilight of my career.”

Professor Slater attended Bolton School from 1964 to 1972, and was school captain during his final year.

He returned to the boys’ division in 2006 to deliver the annual Tillotson Lecture, during which he championed the fun side of science and talked about the highlights of his career in academia and industry — from gene therapy, biological medicines and vaccines, to creating cholesterol-reducing cheese.