Outgoing Vice Chancellor Michael Arthur has announced his intention to perform a DJ set at this year’s summer ball.

Arthur, who started out as an academic in the field of Medicine, was an early advocate of House music and earned and underground reputation for popularising the genre during his time spent studying in San Francisco in the late 1980s. San Francisco was a popular hotspot for the genre after it spread from Chicago to other major cities, and it is here that the Chancellor discovered his love of the music.

Although it may seem incongruous, the profession has actually seen many transitions from Academia to House. Flux co-founder and PhD student Joseph Bridge, as well as popular House DJ and ex-sociology teacher Fido X, have both been seen to make a similar move to the ex- Vice Chancellor.

According to his website, the night will give the Chancellor and opportunity to “interact” with the students in a way “unique to the University [of Leeds].” It will contain music recently created, as well as some of his earlier mixes said to have been created in the late 90s. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do” commented Arthur.

One student told the Leeds Student, “I can hardly believe it. He seemed so professorial – but I’ve been on his Soundcloud and heard some of his stuff. He’s incredible.”

Another added, “a friend of mine, his dad knows him quite well, they studied together in California. He once got the opportunity to support N.W.A., although apparently that night he had to leave to perform surgery – Ice Cube was livid.”

The summer ball is set to take place on the 1st of June, and is suspect to sell record number of tickets this year. Arthur will be playing in Stylus, and is one if the few ‘surprise acts’ left to be announced.

By Ruby Lott-Lavigna and Phil Mann