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Honorary Degrees to be awarded this week

Monday 18 June 2012

Leading figures from the worlds of science, academia, literature, law and broadcasting will be awarded honorary degrees by the University of St Andrews this week (19-22 June).

Famous names including the "father of modern linguistics" Noam Chomsky, Irish poet Paul Muldoon, science broadcaster Simon Singh, Man Booker Prize winner AS Byatt and Scottish writer AL Kennedy will be honoured by the University during its summer graduations.

Eight ceremonies over four days will see twelve distinguished individuals honoured.

They also include Paul and Catherine Buttenweiser University Professor (Harvard University) Stanley Hoffmann, Professor in Computational Sciences (ETH Zurich and Università della Svizzera Italiana) Michele Parrinello, environmental scientist Mr Jesse Ausubel, Professor of English (Princeton University) Elaine Showalter, Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa Edwin Cameron, Honorary Professor of Solid State Chemistry (Cambridge) Professor Sir John Meurig Thomas and Dame Marjorie Scardino, the Chief Executive of Pearson.

The full timetable of ceremonies is as follows:

Tuesday 19 June 10.30am Professor Noam Chomsky  DLitt 
Tuesday 19 June 10.30am Dame Antonia S Byatt DLitt
Tuesday 19 June 2pm Professor Stanley Hoffmann DLitt
Wednesday 20 June 10.30am  Professor  Dr Michele Parrinello  DSc 
Wednesday 20 June 2pm Professor Paul Muldoon  DLitt 
Thursday 21 June 10.30am  Mr Jesse Ausubel LLD
Thursday 21 June 10.30am  Professor  Elaine Showalter  DLitt 
Thursday 21 June 2pm  Ms  Alison Kennedy  DLitt 
Thursday 21 June 2pm  Justice  Edwin Cameron  LLD 
Friday 22 June 10.30am  Professor  John Meurig Thomas  DSc 
Friday 22 June 2pm  Dame  Marjorie Scardino  LLD 
Friday 22 June 2pm  Dr  Simon Singh  DSc 

 

 This year the University will also celebrate the ongoing 600th anniversary celebrations with a host of special events open to the public. They are:
  • Brian Bannatyne-Scott, fundraising concert – 18 June, St Salvator’s Chapel, 6 pm. Tickets: £15 Standard, £10 Concessions, £5 students of the University and persons aged 0-17.
  • Professor Noam Chomsky, 600th Anniversary Lecture: ‘The Great Charter: Its fate, our fate’ – Tuesday 19 June, Buchanan Lecture Theatre, 5.30 pm, free entry.
  • Jesse Ausubel 600th Anniversary Lecture: ‘Every Fish in the Sea: Findings of the First Census of Marine Life’ - Wednesday 20 June, Buchanan Lecture Theatre, 5.30 pm, free entry.
  • Chapel Choir Concert – Thursday 21 June, St Salvator’s Chapel, 5.30 pm, free entry.
  • 600th Anniversary Chapel Service – St Salvator’s Chapel, 11 am, free entry.

ENDS

Note to Editors

Embargoed laureation and graduation addresses from each ceremony are available from the Press Office. Contacts below.

If you would like to attend any of the ceremonies, please contact the Press Office in advance.

Note to Picture Editors

Photocalls will be held immediately after each ceremony in St Salvator's Quadrangle, North Street, St Andrews. Ceremonies last approximately 1.5 hours.

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews
Contact Gayle Cook, Senior Communications Manager on 01334 467227 / 462529, mobile 07900 050 103, or email gec3@st-andrews.ac.uk
Ref: (Grad photo calls 180612)
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