University of Cambridge confers honorary degrees

This year’s honorary degrees recognise achievements in the fields of law, politics, medicine, science, the arts and music.

The Chancellor, The Right Honourable Lord Smith of Finsbury, presided over a special Congregation, held in the Chapel of Queens’ College rather than in the Senate-House as usual, due to the exceptionally hot weather.  Staff, students, alumni and certain civic and diplomatic guests were present. Those honoured this year, after Latin speeches by the Orator, were:

Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill (Doctor of Law). The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, and the first woman to be Head of the Judiciary and President of the Courts in England and Wales, Sue Carr is an alumna and Honorary Fellow of Trinity College and also the Visitor of Darwin College.

Dr Angela Merkel (Doctor of Law). The first woman to hold the Chancellorship of a reunited Germany, Dr Merkel was honoured in recognition of her leadership and contribution to international relations, and is renowned for her influence both in shaping European institutions and promoting unity and co-operation.

Professor Philippe Sands (Doctor of Law). The academic, barrister and writer, has extensive experience in international, environmental, criminal and maritime law as an advocate in the International Courts. An alumnus of Corpus Christi College and former Fellow of St Catharine’s College and Visiting Fellow at Jesus College, he is Professor of Law at University College London.

Professor Yuk Ming Dennis Lo (Doctor of Medical Science). A clinical medic and molecular biologist, and an alumnus and Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College, Professor Lo is currently Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research is widely recognised for its contributions to the development of non-invasive prenatal testing.

Dr Fabiola Gianotti (Doctor of Science). Uniquely distinguished by two full terms as Director-General of CERN, Dr Gianotti has been praised for her vision and rigour in the field of particle physics. She is also known for her inspiring leadership of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during the 2012 landmark discovery of the Higgs boson.

Sir Richard Eyre (Doctor of Letters). A former Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Sir Richard is an alumnus and Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse. He has won a host of awards in both Britain and the United States for directing critically acclaimed plays, films, opera and television.

Dame Rachel Whiteread (Doctor of Letters). The first woman to win the Turner Prize in 1993, Dame Rachel’s thought provoking and highly praised work has led to major public works, such as a resin-cast for the empty plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square and the Holocaust Memorial in Vienna. Dame Rachel is an Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College.  

Sir George Benjamin (Doctor of Music). An alumnus and Honorary Fellow of King’s College and Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King’s College London, the composer and conductor has won numerous awards and is a celebrated figure in the world of contemporary music having had his compositions performed by orchestras worldwide.