Honorary Graduates | Students | The University of Aberdeen

Honorary Graduates

An honorary degree is one of higher education's most significant accolades.

Each year we award honorary degrees to distinguished individuals who merit special recognition for genuine achievement and distinction in a field or activity, not only to acknowledge and celebrate their success but also to provide our students with inspiration role models, prompting further determination to succeed and achieve.

In 2022 the University refreshed its process for awarding honorary degrees to reflect the ambitions of Aberdeen 2040.

Nominations for honorary degrees can be made by any serving member of University staff. More information on the process can be found here.

2022

July 2022

Professor David Croisdale-Appleby - Awarded LLD
Lord Berkeley of Knighton - Awarded DMus
Professor Katherine Sonderegger - Awarded DD

Find out more about our July 2022 honorary graduates.

2020

HRH The Princess Royal
Professor Janet Darbyshire, CBE

Find out more about our 2020 honorary graduates.

2019

June 2019

Professor Sally Mapstone BA, DPhil, FRSE - Awarded DLitt
Sir Tony Robinson - Awarded DLitt
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE, FRS - Awarded DSc
Professor Dame Susan Black DBE - Awarded DSc
HE Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh Al-Thani BEd, BA, MBA, PhD - Awarded LLD
Ronald Watt OB - Awarded MUniv
John McLeod CBE FRAM - Awarded DMus
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn DBE, BA, MA, MBA - Awarded DHC
Professor Fiona Alison Steele OBE FBA - Awarded DSc
Professor Sir John Stewart Savill, FRSE FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
Professor Michael Greaves MBChB, MD, FRCPath, FRCP - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our June 2019 honorary graduates.

January 2019 (Principal’s Installation)

Eddie Stevenson MBE - Awarded MUniv

2018

November 2018

The Rt Hon. the Lord Darling of Roulanish PC, LLB - Awarded LLD
The Most Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby MA -Awarded DD
Gladys Sangster - Awarded MUniv
Micheal O’Siadhail BA, MLitt, DLitt -Awarded DLitt

Find out more about our November 2018 honorary graduates.

June 2018

Sheena Booth Blackhall Dip Ed, BSc (Hons Psychology), MLitt (Distinction) - Awarded MUniv
Professor Gordon Marshall CBE, FBA, BA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
Stanley Jack -Awarded MUniv
Robert Gordon Lovie - Awarded DHC
Michael Zaugg BM, MM - Awarded DMus
Professor Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o DSM SS - Awarded DSc
Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak DBE, MD, FRCP, FAHA, FRSE, FMedSci - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our June 2018 honorary graduates.

2017

November 2017

Anita Margaret Frew BA, MRes - Awarded DHC
Professor Deborah Terry AO, BA, PhD, FAPS - Awarded LLD
Professor Mihai G. Netea MD PhD - Awarded DSc
Professor Simon Halsey CBE, BA, MA, MA, DUniv, DMus, DMus - Awarded DMus
Professor John Michael Kosterlitz BA, MA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
Judith Bingham BMus - Awarded DMus
The Revd Canon Stephen John Evans BA, MA, MPhil, Cert Theol - Awarded DHC
Francis Rolleston Gardner OBE, BA, LLD, FRGS - Awarded DLitt

Find out more about our November 2017 honorary graduates.

June 2017

Donald Alexander Lamont MA - Awarded LLD
David Strachan BD, Diploma in Pastoral Studies - Awarded DHC
Ms Margaret Carlaw BSc - Awarded MUniv
Kim Alison Little BSc - Awarded MUniv
Dame Katherine Grainger DBE - Awarded DHC
Sir Moir Lockhead Kt, OBE, DBA, DHC - Awarded LLD
Professor Stanley Hauerwas - Awarded DD
Brian Sidney Pack OBE, SDA, Dip.FBOM, MSc, FRAgS - Awarded DHC
David Andrew Steyn LLB - Awarded DHC
Jennifer Ann Brown MA, DUniv - Awarded DLitt
Isobel Yule MA - Awarded MUniv
George Adam DA - Awarded LLD

Find out more about our June 2017 honorary graduates.

2016

November 2016

Professor Nyovani J Madise BSc, MSc, PhD - Awarded DSc
Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell MA, DLitt - Awarded DHC
Sara Lamb Parkin OBE, LLD, DSc - Awarded DHC
Judith Murray BA, DHC - Awarded DHC
Elly Barnes MBE, BMus(Hons), MA - Awarded DHC
Lesley Scott Dent Glasser MBE, BA, PhD, DSc, FRSE, FInstP - Awarded DSc
Professor Fredrik P Glasser, BA, PhD, DSc, IOM3, FRSE - Awarded DSc
Very Rev John Chalmers BD QHC - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our November 2016 honorary graduates.

June 2016

Nicola Dandridge - Awarded DHC
Professor David Ford - Awarded DD
Professor Frances Cairncross - Awarded LLD
Suzy Digby - Awarded DMus
Samuel Jackson - Awarded DMus
Nanette Milne OBE - Awarded DHC
George Yule - Awarded MUniv
Professor Alice Brown CBE - Awarded LLD
Professor Lesley Yellowlees - Awarded DSc
Anne Harper - Awarded MUniv
Professor Teresa Rees - Awarded DSc
Dame Anne Begg DBE - Awarded DHC
Professor Pamela Gillies - Awarded DSc
Alison Skene MBE - Awarded MUniv
Rt Hon Baroness Tessa Jowell - Awarded LLD
Lady Joan Catto - Awarded MUniv

Find out more about our June 2016 honorary graduates.

March 2016 (Special Ceremony)

President John Dramani Mahama - Awarded LLD

2015

November 2015

Zainab Hawa Bangura - Awarded LLD
Christopher Philip Bell - Awarded DMus
Very Rev Dr Graham John Thomson Forbes CBE - Awarded DD
Malcolm Webb LLB DBA - Awarded DHC
Marc Floyd Ellington - Awarded DHC

Find out more about our November 2015 honorary graduates.

June 2015

Iain James Mackay MA, CA - Awarded DHC
The Hon Lady Wise LLB (Hons), DLP, LLM - Awarded LLD
Air Commodore R W Joseph CBE BSc RAF (Retd) - Awarded MUniv
Yasmin Rahman Seyal MA MS CPA - Awarded DHC
Professor Richard William Rylance BA PhD FRSA - Awarded LLD
Professor David William Rhind CBE, FRS, Hon FBA - Awarded DSc
Frances Guy MA - Awarded LLD
Frederick George Scott Dalgarno LLB, CA - Awarded MUniv
Professor Douglas Bruce Kell CBE, MA, DPhil, DSc, FIBiol, FLSW, FAAS - Awarded DSc
Graham John Siddall BSc, MSc, PhD - Awarded DSc
David Walker MA - Awarded DHC
Professor Louise Richardson BA, MA, PhD, FRSE - Awarded LLD
Alistair Gerould Macdonald MA - Awarded MUniv
Professor Stephen D Logan BSc PhD - Awarded LLD

Find out more about our June 2015 honorary graduates.

2014

November 2014

Professor James Jordan MMus PhD - Awarded DMus
John Edward Kitson Smith CBE BA LLD CPFA FCA FRSA - Awarded LLD
Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz Kt PhD FRCP FRCPath FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
Professor Albert Alexander Rodger FREng BSc (Eng) PhD CEng FICE FGS - Awarded DSc
Professor Frances Mary Ashcroft BA PhD ScD DSc DUniv FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our November 2014 honorary graduates.

July 2014

Dr Adam Watson, FSocBiol, FArcticINorthAmer, FRSE, FCEH, FRMetSoc, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv - Awarded DSc
Robert Grant Macfarlane BA, MPhil, PhD - Awarded DLitt
Christopher Rush MA - Awarded DLitt
Dr Alice Marjorie Sheila Prochaska D Phil, FRHist.S - Awarded LLD
Professor Hayman Russel Botman BA, BTh, MTh, DTh - Awarded LLD
Michael David Loggie BA MA - Awarded DHC
Professor Witold Zatoński MD DSc - Awarded DSc
Professor David Alexander Syme Fergusson DPhil, FBA, FRSE - Awarded DD
Professor Anna Frances Glasier OBE, BSc, MBChB, MD, DSc, LLD, FFSRH, FRCOG, FRSE - Awarded DSc
Reverend Professor Clifford James Green - Awarded DD

Find out more about our July 2014 honorary graduates.

2013

November 2013

Archbishop John Sentamu - Awarded DD
Juliette Paton - Awarded MUniv
Karen Darke - Awarded DHC

Find out more about our November 2013 honorary graduates.

July 2013

Professor Terence Charles Daintith - Awarded LLD
Professor David Noel Livingstone OBE - Awarded DLitt
Professor Dame (Susan) Jocelyn Bell Burnell FRS, FRSE - Awarded DSc
Steven John Cannon - Awarded LLD
Ralph Allwood MBE - Awarded DMus
Justice Albert Louis Sachs - Awarded LLD
James Anthony O'Donnell KCSG - Awarded DMus
Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng - Awarded DHC
Professor Dominic Frances Joseph Houlihan OBE - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our July 2013 honorary graduates.

June 2013 - Chancellor's Installation

HRH The Duchess of Rothesay
Sir Eric Anderson
Sir Ronald Harwood
Professor Philip James
Dr Audrey Dawson
Frank Mulholland
Neil Fachie

Find out more about our Chancellor's appointment

2012

November 2012

Peter James Stephen OStJ - Awarded DHC
The Hon Lord Bracadale - Awarded LLD
Rev Dr Alan David Falconer- Awarded DD
Sir John Rex Beddington CMG- Awarded DSc
Sir (William) Roland Cedric Jackson Bt - Awarded DHC
Jane (Jean) Mitchell Hamilton - Awarded MUniv

Find out more about our November 2012 honorary graduates.

July 2012

Professor Christopher Bones FRSA - Awarded DHC
Dr Jonathan M Daube- Awarded DHC
The Hon Lady Dorrian- Awarded LLD
Professor Lisa Jardine CBE- Awarded DSc
Dame Emma Kirkby- Awarded DMus
Duncan Macniven TD- Awarded LLD
Sir Adam Roberts KCMG, FBA- Awarded LLD
David Sweeney- Awarded DHC
The Hon Lord Woolman- Awarded LLD
Colin W McKerracher CBE QPM- Awarded LLD
Ian A Suttie- Awarded DHC

Find out more about our July 2012 honorary graduates.

2011

November 2011

Jennifer Shirreffs - Awarded MUniv
Lord Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi - Awarded LLD
Dr Michael Wyllie - Awarded DHC
Jeremy Huw Williams - Awarded DMus
Dame Hazel Genn - Awarded LLD

Find out more about our November 2011 honorary graduates.

July 2011

Professor C Duncan Rice - Awarded LLD
Alan Amoore - Awarded DHC
Richard Thomson OBE - Awarded DHC
Professor William Saunders - Awarded DSc
Dame Carol Black - Awarded DSc
Professor Michael Gazzaniga - Awarded DSc
Professor K Srinath Reddy - Awarded DSc
John Manzoni - Awarded DSc
Dr Roger Williiams - Awarded DMus
Sir Paul Nurse - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our July 2011 honorary graduates.

2010

November 2010

Sir Mark Walport - Awarded DSc
Lord Carter of Barnes - Awarded LLD
Diane Morgan - Awarded MUniv
Clare Russell - Awarded MUniv
Christopher Cusiter - Awarded DHC

Find out more about our November 2010 honorary graduates.

July 2010

Daniel Wegner BS, MA, PhD - Awarded DSc
Lord Robert Winston - Awarded DSc
James Douglas Craig OBE MA CA - Awarded DHC
Lord John Krebs Kt, FRS, FMedSci, BA, MA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
Professor John Hughes FRS, BSc, MA, PhD - Awarded DSc
Erwin Neher - Awarded DSc
Anthony Victor Hilton MA - Awarded DHC
Andrew Douglas Fyfe Lewis MBA FInstD - Awarded DHC
Neal Ascherson MA - Awarded DLitt
Michael Lewis Shattock OBE, BA(Oxon), MA(Oxon) - Awarded LLD
James Loy MacMillan CBE, BMus, PhD, FRSAMD - Awarded DMus
John Edward Tooke MA, MSc, BM, BCh, DM, DSc(Oxon) - Awarded DSc

Find out more about our July 2010 honorary graduates.

2009

November 2009

Professor Richard Dawkins FRS - Awarded DSc
William Edgar CBE - Awarded DSc
Professor Zygmunt Bauman - Awarded DLitt
Dr John Purser - Awarded DHC
Laurie Taylor - Awarded DHC

Find out more about our November 2009 honorary graduates.

July 2009

Geoffrey Dennis MacCormack BA, LLB, MA, DPhil - Awarded LLD
William James Maclean MBE, RSA, DLitt - Awarded DLitt
Sir Moir Lockhead OBE - Awarded DHC
Edi Stark MA Hons ALA - Awarded MUniv
Martin James Gilbert MA, LLB, LLD, CA - Awarded LLD
John Stewart Spence - Awarded DHC
Professor William Horbury FBA, MA, PhD, DD - Awarded DD
Peter W Mills QHC, BD, CPS RAF - Awarded DD
Victoria Elizabeth Crowe MA (RCA), RSA, RSW, OBE - Awarded DHC
Morten Johannes Lauridsen - Awarded DMus

Find out more about our July 2009 honorary graduates.

2008

November 2008

William Stanley Robertson (deceased) - Awarded MUniv
Susan Rice CBE, FRSE, BA, MLitt, DHC, DB - Awarded LLD
Sir Roy Anderson FRS, FMedSci - Awarded DSc
William J L Buyers FRSC, FInstPhys - Awarded DSc

July 2008

Ferran Adrià - Awarded DHC
Kenneth Hunter BA - Awarded DHC
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM CH CVO FRS - Awarded DSC
Medbh McGuckian - Awarded DLitt
Semir Zeki BSc PhD FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
John Sievwright MA CA - Awarded DHC
Ian Trevor Russell MSc PhD FSS MIMgt FRCP - Awarded DSc
John Anthony Pickett CBE DSc FRS - Awarded DSc
James Matheson Smith BSc - Awarded DSc
Bridget McConnell MA Med PgDip FRSA - Awarded DHC
Alexander McLeish - Awarded DHC
John Buttifant The Lord Sewel CBE BA MScEcon PhD - Awarded LLD
Matthew M MacIver CBE MA Med FEIS FRSA - Awarded DHC
Ernest McAlpine Armstrong CB BSc MB ChB FRCSEd FRCP(Glas, Ed) FRCGP FFPH - Awarded LLD
James Smith Milne DL CBE DBA (Hon) - Awarded DHC

2007