University of Dundee to honour leading figures at Graduation 2016
Published On Mon 6 Jun 2016 by Roddy Isles
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody, dementia rights campaigner Amanda Kopel and Maggie’s Centres co-founder Dr Charles Jencks are among the leading figures who will be honoured by the University of Dundee at its summer Graduations in June.
The University is also set to award honorary degrees to:
- Sir William Castell, former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust
- Sir William Patey, a Dundee graduate who went on to become UK Ambassador in Sudan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan
- Professor Harindra Fernando, one of the world’s foremost experts in fluid dynamics and environmental science
- Professor Hilal Al-Sayer, Chairman of the Dasman Diabetes Institute board in Kuwait
The honorary degrees will be presented as part of the University’s summer Graduations, which take place in the Caird Hall in Dundee from Wednesday June 22nd to Friday 24th.
“In choosing our honorary graduates we are looking at people who are the best possible role models for our students and staff, and who have displayed excellence and achievement in their chosen fields,” said Professor Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University.
“Each of the people we will award an honorary degree to this summer fits that description. They have achieved great things in fields that are directly relevant to our own students here at Dundee and include two of our own alumni in Gary Lightbody and William Patey.
“The achievements of our seven honorary graduates reflect the wide ranging nature of the impact the University itself has on society, from music and the arts through healthcare, governance and the environment.
“I look forward to welcoming all of them to Dundee this summer.”
The Graduation ceremonies take place from Wednesday June 22nd to Friday June 24th in the Caird Hall in Dundee. Around 3500 students will receive their own degrees and diplomas over the course of the week, one of the highlights of the academic calendar.
NOTES TO EDITORS
There will be photo opportunities with each of the Honorary Graduates before the ceremony in the Robing Room of Dundee City Chambers. These will be from 9.30am for the morning ceremonies (which begin at 10am) and 2pm for the afternoon ceremonies (which begin at 2.30pm).
The ceremonies where honorary degrees will be conferred are:
Wednesday 22nd June
Afternoon ceremony – Charles Jencks and Amanda Kopel
Thursday 23rd June
Afternoon ceremony – Sir William Castell and Sir William Patey
Friday 24th June
Morning ceremony – Professor Harindra Fernando
Afternoon ceremony – Gary Lightbody and Dr Hilal Al-Sayer
Honorary Graduates 2016 – biographies
Dr Charles Jencks is a world renowned cultural theorist, landscape designer, architectural critic and historian, and co-founder of the Maggie’s Cancer Care centres, with his late wife Maggie Keswick. The Maggie’s Centres provide free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their families. Since 1996, 20 centres have been built by distinguished architects, encouraged by Charles, including the landmark Frank Gehry-designed centre in Dundee.
He is a celebrated designer in his own right. In 2004 the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art won the Gulbenkian Prize for Museums for his design, Landform Ueda. This year he received the prestigious Soane Honours in America for his visionary work and contribution to architectural history.
Amanda Kopel has spearheaded the `Frank’s Law’ campaign to secure free personal care for people in Scotland who are under the age of 65 and living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The campaign has been inspired by the case of Amanda’s husband, the late Dundee United legend Frank Kopel, who suffered from dementia. Her campaign has gained immense popular support
Mrs Kopel is also heavily involved in raising awareness of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – a form of younger-onset dementia associated with repeated sport-related head trauma, which her husband may have suffered from as a result of his football career.
Sir William Castell was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust, the global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health, from 2006 to 2015. He was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare, and a Vice-Chairman and latterly non-executive director of the General Electric Company (GE). He served on the board of BP plc for six years and until April 2012 was the senior independent director.
His not-for-profit roles include being a council member of the UK Medical Research Council (2001-2004) and Chairman of the Prince's Trust (1998-2003).
He has been a long-time champion and supporter of the University of Dundee’s world renowned work in Life Sciences and Medicine.
Sir William Patey graduated with a degree in Modern History from the University of Dundee in 1975. On leaving Dundee he joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for what has been an extremely distinguished career. After rising through the FCO ranks with postings in Abu Dhabi, Libya and Australia, he was UK Ambassador in Sudan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and finally Afghanistan.
He is one of the world’s foremost experts on the Middle East and has played a leading personal role in some of the most challenging diplomatic events of our times.
Professor Harindra Fernando is one of the world’s foremost experts in fluid dynamics and environmental science. He holds the position of Wayne and Diana Murdy Endowed Professor of Engineering and Geosciences at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
He is the founding figure of the increasingly important area of urban fluid mechanics. In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, his identification of the role of coral poaching in localising devastation paved the way for new regulations in tsunami-threatened areas.
Professor Hilal Al-Sayer is the Chairman of the Dasman Diabetes Institute Board in Kuwait where he has been instrumental in ensuring that the Institute is the leading speciality centre for Diabetes in the Gulf Region. As part of his vision he has been key in developing innovative, hands-on diabetes focused healthcare education within Kuwait. In order to achieve this Professor Hilal has developed a strong partnership between the Dasman Diabetes Institute, University of Dundee, NHS Tayside, Kuwait Ministry of Health and Aridhia Informatics, utilising Dundee and Tayside’s immense expertise in diabetes research and care.
He is president of the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital, that provides focused services within government hospitals across Kuwait. He is also president of the Bayat Abdullah Children’s Hospice, the first hospice of its kind in the Middle East, which was awarded the Takreem Arab Achievement Award for efforts in providing medical healthcare to children. Professor Hilal is President of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society and has been instrumental to the provision of humanitarian support in areas such as Iraq, Sri Lanka, Thailand and New Orleans. Professor Hilal has also been Minster of Health for Kuwait and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Kuwait University.
Gary Lightbody founded the band who were to become Snow Patrol on his very first day at university in Dundee. While he earned his degree, his main focus was always on music. It has led to spectacular success as Snow Patrol have since gone on to sell over eleven million albums and have headlined major festivals across the world. As well as Snow Patrol’s own work, he is in demand as a songwriter and has worked with such names as Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Gary Lightbody pic by Bradley Quinn
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