Honorary degrees
This year, we were thrilled to award honorary degrees to a range of esteemed alumni at our graduation ceremonies. Honorary degrees are awarded to those with significant national or international standing and a genuine level of distinction in their field and often beyond.
January 2025
Chris Whitaker (PhD Law 2012, Hon LittD 2025) a passionate advocate for disability equality in sports and dedicated member of the Board of Directors for World Disability Billiards and Snooker.
July 2025
Lucy Prebble (BA English Literature 2002, Hon LittD 2025) an acclaimed and award-winning TV and stage writer, honoured with Writers and Producers Guild of America awards, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Susanna Chiu (BA Economics 1982, Hon LittD 2025) the first woman to hold the position of President of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, she was named Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year by the Hong Kong Commercial Daily newspaper in 2017.
Peter Barber, OBE (BA Architecture 1984, Hon LittD 2025) a world-renowned architect specialising in social housing design, he has revolutionised the UK’s approach to affordable housing.
Urooj Mumtaz Khan (MMedSci Restorative Dentistry 2011, Hon LittD 2025) former Captain of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket team and the first Pakistani woman to commentate on a men’s international One Day match, she is one of the most influential figures in the history of Pakistani women’s cricket.
Scott Beaumont (BA Spanish and Business Studies 1994, Hon LittD 2025) Google’s former President for Asia Pacific, one of his most important projects included leading AI and online safety training for 50,000 parents and children in Singapore.
Gary Dunn (BEng Electronic Engineering (Information & Systems) 1991, Hon DEng 2025) a leading figure in the video game industry, renowned for scaling global teams and shortlisted for TIGA’s Outstanding Leadership Award.
Dr Wanda Thomas Bernard (PhD in Sociological Studies 1996, Hon LittD 2025) The first African Nova Scotian woman appointed to serve in Canada’s Senate Chamber, she is also a founding member of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW), dedicated to supporting and advocating for marginalised communities.
