SCOTTISH folk singer Iona Fyfe has been named the new rector of the University of Aberdeen.
Born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, the musician, who is 26 years old, is to become one of the youngest rectors in the history of the university.
Fyfe said she was honoured that students had put their faith in her "to take on the historic role", and will begin her three-year role on 1 January.
Current rector Martina Chukwuma–Ezike's term ends on this date.
She won the role in a student vote ahead of Dr Camilo Torres Barragán.
Fyfe said: "It’s a profound privilege to represent students in my home region."
Student president Christina Schmid said: "We are happy that in Iona we have a rector who will advocate for students and work together with the students' union to represent students at all levels.”
The person who holds the position acts as a senior official who presides over meetings of the institute's governing body and represents the school at ceremonial events.
The current rector at the University of Aberdeen is Chukwuma-Ezike, CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, and is the first black woman to hold the position.
In 2021 Fyfe changed the language policy at the music streaming platform Spotify when she successfully lobbied the company to add the Scots dialect to its service.
She was also awarded the Scots Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in 2023 and has been at the forefront of campaigning for a Scottish Languages Act.
Fyfe is also a committee member of the Musicians Union, and her work in raising awareness of sexual harassment in the music industry was recognised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, when she was awarded the STUC Equality Award in 2022.
Camilo Torres Barragán, founder of Borderless a campaign to fight for international students’ equal and fair access to higher education in the UK, is also in the running for the position.
Barragán, who is the former vice president for Communities at the Students’ Union at the University of Aberdeen, wrote in a statement that change at the university can be fulfilling for students.
