Honorary degree for Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller

Published On Fri 23 Jun 2017 by Grant Hill

Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, Chair of the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest funders of biomedical research, has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Dundee.

Baroness Manningham-Buller joined Wellcome, a global charitable foundation that supports scientists and researchers to take on big problems, fuel imaginations and spark debate, as a governor in 2008 and became Chair of the Board of Governors in 2015.

She received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the University’s graduation ceremony in recognition of her work to help great scientific ideas thrive for the benefit of mankind.

Baroness Manningham-Buller is also the former Director General of MI5. She was educated at Benenden School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She taught for three years before joining MI5 in 1974.

After a career which included a posting to the British Embassy in Washington, Dame Eliza became Deputy Director General, with responsibility for operations, before leading MI5 as Director General from 2002 to 2007.

She was appointed an independent, crossbench peer in the House of Lords in 2008. She has been a member of the Privileges and Conduct Committee, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, and the Science and Technology Committee.

Baroness Manningham-Buller was nominated for an honorary degree by Mike Ferguson, Regius Professor of Life Sciences at Dundee, who said, “Eliza is an extraordinary person who has profoundly contributed to national security, not least leading up to the Good Friday Agreement, and whose capacity for analytical and emotional intelligence enhances all strategic planning and decision-making processes.

“As Chair of the Board for the Wellcome Trust, she provides constructive challenge to the board and the executive of one of the finest, and largest, charitable institutions. She is also a strong advocate for diversity and equality. It is an absolute privilege to count her among our honorary graduates.”  

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