UCL confers first Honorary Degrees and Fellowships for 2024

Each year, graduation represents a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate all that our graduands have achieved, and it is no different for the six Honorary Award recipients who joined our ceremonies at the Royal Festival Hall in May.

A Doctorate of Literature was awarded to Rob Rinder MBE, barrister, media personality and contributor to the Centre for Holocaust Education at UCL, and a Doctorate of Science to Erich Herrmann, technical specialist, innovator, and long-standing manager of the High Precision Design and Fabrication Facility (Mechanical Workshop) at UCL Engineering.

Honorary Fellowships were awarded to Dr Sebastian Bailey, Co-Founder, President and Executive Director of MindGym; Mark Cleary, former President of the UCL Friends and Alumni Association; Alderman Vincent Keaveny CBE KStJ, former Lord Mayor of the City of London; and James and Cathleen Stone, Director and President of the the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.

Honorary degrees 

Rob Rinder is a barrister and media personality who has made a hugely significant contribution to UCL's Centre for Holocaust Education (CHE) and its Beacon Schools network. His work includes participating in schools workshops, online sessions, and Holocaust Memorial Day events. Rob's documentaries, including My Family, the Holocaust and Me, inspired CHE's educational programme, "The Holocaust, Their Family, Me and Us," which has reached over 200 secondary schools to date. His advocacy for Holocaust education and his collaboration with UCL have been instrumental in addressing antisemitism and enhancing student engagement with this complex history.

Erich Herrmann has been a powerhouse of technical expertise at UCL, contributing significantly to research, teaching, and infrastructure development. Over many years at UCL, Erich’s innovations (including the first Fourier transform spectrometer for solid state physics) have advanced numerous fields. His insights and specialist fabrication skills have been pivotal for UCL’s key research achievements, and his leadership in creating state-of-the-art fabrication facilities and mentoring technical staff has left an impressive legacy for his former colleagues and students.

Honorary Fellowships

Dr Sebastian Bailey (Psychology with Cognitive Science 1997) is the Co-Founder, President, and Executive Director of MindGym. Sebastian has led the company to work with major FTSE 100 firms globally, focusing on psychology, technology, and human behavior. As a UCL alumnus, he has made a significant contribution to his alma mater through his philanthropy and sharing his expertise. He has advised on strategy and supported inclusivity and diversity initiatives, whilst he has also given his support to the Careers Extra Internship Scheme, which provides opportunities for disadvantaged students.

Mark Cleary (Scandinavian Studies 1978) has been a dedicated supporter of UCL for more than 15 years, organising events and engaging alumni in the Tri-State Area in the United States. As President and Treasurer of the US-based UCL Friends and Alumni Association, he strengthened governance and fundraising efforts, contributing to the success of UCL's ‘It’s All Academic’ philanthropy and enegagement campaign which ran between 2016 and 2020. Mark’s support continues to benefit students, not least through the proceeds from his beautiful watercolour painting of UCL's main building which is sold in the UCL Shop.

Vincent Keaveny CBE served as Lord Mayor of the City of London in 2021/22 and is currently a partner at DLA Piper LLP and chair of Progress Together. As Lord Mayor, he promoted a purpose-led financial sector, hosting the Net Zero Delivery Summit and leading the Finance for Impact initiative. During his tenure, he became the first Lord Mayor to have a documented meeting with a President & Provost of UCL. This unlocked a relationship between the university and city which continues to flourish, with shared endeavours now taking place across the creative and cultural industries, health research and innovation and enterprise.

James and Cathleen Stone are Chairman and President of The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation. Their support has enabled the establishment of the Stone Centre at UCL, which works to advance research and teaching to provide a clear understanding of the causes of wealth inequality and its economic and political consequences. James and Cathleen’s commitment to inclusivity and the spread of knowledge is reflected in UCL’s own history and mission, and their philanthropic commitment to tackling some of society’s major challenges is making a powerful difference in the world.

Recognising exceptional contributions

“A huge congratulations to our fantastic cohort of Honorary Fellowship and Honorary Degree recipients,” said Angharad Milenkovic, Vice-President (Advancement) at UCL. “It is a privilege to be able to recognise those who make exceptional contributions to the life of our university, its home city of London, and the wider world.

“To do so at graduation allows us to celebrate their achievements in the company of the next generation of talented UCL alumni, and to share with them experiences which might inspire their own remarkable journeys to come.”

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Rob Rinder MBE speaks from the podium at Royal Festival Hall (by James Tye).