Alumni news

Chancellor Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE receiving his surprise honorary degree

Current and former staff and students are being asked for their help in selecting a new round of honorary degrees and fellowships for summer graduation 2020.

The Vice-Chancellor and Honorary Degrees Committee are welcoming nominations from all areas of the University, including current and former staff and students.

Honorary degrees and fellowships are awarded in recognition of those who have achieved excellence in an academic field or have played an important role in society.

Over the years, the University of Sussex has awarded honorary degrees to a huge variety of talented individuals including cosmologist Professor Carlos Frenk CBE, BBC journalist Clive Myrie, author Ali Smith, historian Dr Lucy Worsley, and actor, comedian and writer Stephen Fry. During summer gradation 2019, a surprise honorary degree was also awarded to Chancellor Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE to mark his 10^th year in the role.

Information on the criteria and exclusions for nominations, as well as the nomination form itself, can be found online.

This year, nominators are encouraged to think about the institution’s values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage, as set out in the 2025 strategic framework.

In line with the University’s EDI approach, nominators are also encouraged to think about diversity and representation. For example, for every one nomination for a female, the committee has typically received two nominations for men.

Completed forms need to be returned by Friday 25 October for consideration by the next meeting of the Honorary Degrees Committee. Nominations are still welcome after this date, but will be kept on hold until the next committee meeting and considered for the following ceremony (winter 2021). Once nominations have been discussed by the Honorary Degrees Committee, their recommendations will be passed to Senate for approval.

Please note that all nominations should be kept confidential, including from the nominee, until after Senate approval has been given, and the nominee has accepted the award.

Forms can be returned to the Secretary to the Honorary Degrees Committee via post or by email:
Nancy Huggett, Deputy Head of Governance Services, Sussex House Room 316
n.e.huggett@sussex.ac.uk

Need some inspiration? Have a look at some of our interviews with honorary graduates from 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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