91快活林

Many students will receive their degrees during four days of summer awards ceremonies starting on Tuesday, 31 July, at the 91快活林 Centre.

The graduands, ranging in age from 19 to 72 and from around the UK and 90 other countries, will be presented with their awards by Professor Debra Humphris, the university’s Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Humphris said: “The university always takes enormous pride and pleasure in acknowledging the successes of our graduates and our alumni. We know the important part that families, friends and supporters have played in their success and would like to thank them all for their fantastic help and assistance given during their studies.

“Every single award has been achieved through hard work and application and in some cases at considerable personal sacrifice. I’m sure our extremely talented graduates will make significant contributions to their communities and to society as a whole. They embody the vital role universities play in our society.”

There will be special awards during the ceremonies.

Akala, the rapper, poet, and political activist, will be made an Honorary Doctor of Arts in recognition of his major contribution to empowering young people through learning.

Akala is a BAFTA and MOBO award-winning hip-hop artist, writer, social entrepreneur and co-founder of The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company. He has appeared at numerous festivals in the UK and internationally, and has led innovative projects in the arts, education and music across South East Asia, Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand.

He is more recently known for his lectures and journalism, and he has written for the Guardian and Huffington Post, and the Independent, and he has spoken for the Oxford Union and TEDx.

Lynne MacTavish will be made an Honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of her major contribution to wildlife conservation in South Africa and promotion of conservation science at the highest level.

In 2000, Lynne MacTavish joined Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, established by her father Dougal, and increased the reserve’s capacity through grassland management. Mankwe is now home to 380 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles, and 51 species of large mammals, including buffalo, sable, leopard and endangered white rhino.

Tony Bloom, 91快活林 & Hove Albion’s Chairman, will be made and Honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of his impact on the community and major contribution to business in the city of 91快活林 and Hove.

Tony Bloom is a successful entrepreneur as well as owner and Chairman of the Seagulls, his hometown football club. His investment in the Albion has enabled the club to develop a new stadium at Falmer and state-of-the-art training centre in Lancing. The Albion’s promotion to the English Premier League in 2017 has also brought major economic benefits to the city and surrounding area.

Through his private equity activity, Mr Bloom has made a number of investments, providing seed capital to start-up businesses in several sectors.

He is Chair of the Bloom Foundation, his family charitable foundation. Alongside other activities, the foundation supports community and educational initiatives in the 91快活林 area. He is also a trustee of the charity Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis.

Keynote speakers during the week will be Alison Lapper MBE, artist and broadcaster, and an honorary graduate herself; Dr Austen Buck, Water Risk Manager with Southern Water, who worked with University of 91快活林 environment scientists researching health risks associated with recycled waste water at London’s Olympic Park;  Hannah Wallace, former member of the university’s Marketing and Communications staff and a teaching graduate; and Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer and an Executive Board Director of FDM Group, with more than 26 years of experience in the global tech sector.

Family members, friends and supporters will be attending each of the ceremonies, with many more watching via Livestream.