SReaching the Opene Universitys communitya worldwideme Honorary graduates 2003 Open University honorary graduates for 2003 are: Dr Dominique Abrioux Robert Fisk Dr Mary Robinson Shami Ahmed Dame Rennie Fritchie Bryn Terfel Chief Emeka Anyaoku Kenneth Grange Polly Vacher Prof Frances Ashcroft Jackie Kay Sir John Wall Dr Diane Bailey June Mendoza Sheelagh Watts Iona Brown Heather Mills-McCartney Simon Weston Prof Marilyn Butler Beverley Naidoo Michael Wood Prof John Cowan Dr Elizabeth Nelson John Yip Prof Richard Dawkins Torstein Rekkedal Prof Sir Christopher Zeeman Sister Frances Dominica David Robinson Follows details about each of the honorary graduates, information about each of its student complement. It now has 26,000 adult learners in 65 countries. He has them is preceded by details of their award, ceremony location and ceremony date. held a number of positions with international open education organisations. DUniv indicates that the recipient will receive a Doctorate of the University award; MUniv indicates that the recipient will receive a Master of the University Prof Frances Ashcroft D U n i v Academic and scholarly distinction award. including academic achievement by those without the normal academic opport u n i t i e s ; Shami Ahmed MUniv Notable contribution to the ed u c a t i o n a l and Notable contribution to the educat- or cultural wellbeing of society ional or cultural wellbeing of society Saturday 6 June Manchester Saturday 11 April Cheltenham At 24, Eathasham (Shami) Ahmed launched Joe Bloggs, among the most Prof Frances Ashcroft is currently the Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Research successful jeans manufacturers in the UK. The organisation has a 2,000-strong Professor at the University of Oxford and holds a professorial fellowship at Trinity team across the UK and throughout the world. He left school at 15 to join his College, Oxford. Her research focuses on adult diabetes and on how a rise in the father in setting up a wholesale clothing business, Pennywise. In the nine years blood sugar concentration stimulates the release of the hormone insulin from the that he worked with his parents, he identified a number of profitable, but unex- pancreas. She is actively involved in the public understanding of science and has plored, niches in the market. The Joe Bloggs empire is still privately owned, with taken part in television work for schools. the Ahmed family continuing to run the business. Dr Diane Bailey MUniv Services to the University; and Work in Chief EleazarChukwuemeka (Emeka) Anyaoku areas of special educational concern to the DUniv Notable contribution to the educational University or cultural wellbeing of society Saturday 31 May Ely Monday 6 October London Dr Diane Bailey joined the Open University in its first year as an arts tutor- Chief Eleazar Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Anyaoku served as the Secretary-General counsellor and went on to tutor on several undergraduate and postgraduate courses. of the Commonwealth from 1990 to 2000. His career has also included periods She took up a full-time post as senior counsellor at the Open University in the with the Commonwealth Development Corporation, the Nigerian Diplomatic East of England in 1987, before becoming the university’s director of equal oppor- Service (including three years as a member of Nigeria’s permanent delegation to tunities. She returned to the East of England region, becoming deputy regional the United Nations), and the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, where he was director until her retirement in 2000. She now works part-time for the Higher elected Deputy Secretary-General in 1978. His present roles include chairman of Education Equality Advisory Service. the Presidential Advisory Council on International Affairs in Nigeria and a mem- ber of the United Nations Eminent Persons Group on Racism. Iona Brown DUniv Services to the Arts and Sciences Friday 6 June London DrDominique Abrioux DUniv Work in areas of special educational After many years as a successful solo violinist and director, Iona Brown has concern to the University extended her activities to develop into a notable conductor. As artistic director of Saturday 13 September Paris the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, she has made a series of recordings and A pioneer in open and distance learning, Dr Abrioux has been with Athabasca tours worldwide with this group. She has a number of honours, including an OBE University, Canada, for 25 years and was appointed its President in 1995. Under for her services to music; the Royal Philharmonic Society awarded her the his leadership, the university – Canada’s open university – has more than doubled Instrumentalist of the Year 1994 title. Prof Marilyn Butler D U n i v Academic and scholarly distinction Pro-Chancellor of Southampton University. She is a co-author of a number of including academic achievement by those books and publications, including titles about conflict resolution. without the normal academic opport u n i t i e s ; and Notable contribution to the educational Kenneth Grange DUniv Services to the Arts and Sciences or cultural wellbeing of society Saturday 29 March Torquay Saturday 7 June London The holder of a number of design awards and prizes, Kenneth Grange contributed Prof Marilyn Butler has been Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, since 1993. Her to the designs of some of the most common household items over the last 40 years, academic career includes periods as a junior research fellow, fellow and tutor and including disposable razors, pens, blenders and the Kodak Instamatic Camera. His lecturer at Oxford. She moved to Cambridge University to become King Edward many appointments include Master of Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry VII Professor of English Literature from 1986 to 1993, later becoming (1987), President of the Chartered Society of Designers (1988) and Director of Professorial Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, from 1988 to 1993. Her works Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (1987). He holds ten Design Council Awards and the have been published since 1972. Prince Philip Designer’s Prize (2001). Prof John Cowan Emeritus Professorship Jackie Kay DUniv Services to the Arts and Sciences Saturday 24 May Glasgow Friday 6 June Manchester Prof John Cowan entered academia after a successful career as a structural Award-winning writer Jackie Kay is well-known for her work in a number of engineering designer. He developed pioneering academic programmes. His areas. She has published three collections of poetry for adults and three for chil- research at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, where he was the first Professor dren. Among prizes awarded to her first novel, Trumpet (1998), was the Guardian of Engineering Education in the UK, concentrated on student learning and the Fiction Prize. She has also written for the stage and television and is currently learning experience. Northern Arts Literary Fellow and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. On moving to the Open University in Scotland, he encouraged creative devel- opments for curriculum development and campaigned nationally for rigorous June Mendoza DUniv Services to the University and Services formative evaluation in higher education. In retirement, he remains an active to the Arts and Sciences teacher and educational project developer. Saturday 31 May Ely Artist June Mendoza’s work includes portraits of the Queen, the Prince of Wales Prof Richard Dawkins D U n i v Academic and scholarly distinction and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Her group portraits include the House of including academic achievement by those Commons in session and The Rt Hon Baroness Boothroyd, the Open University’s without the normal academic opport u n i t i e s ; Chancellor. June Mendoza is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Notable contribution to the educational and of the Institute of Oil Painters and an honorary member of the Society of or cultural wellbeing of society Women Artists. Saturday 31 May Birmingham Prof Richard Dawkins, the International Cosmos Prizewinner for 1997, is the first HeatherMills-McCartney DUniv Public Services holder of the newly endowed Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding Saturday 21 June Portsmouth of Science at the University of Oxford. An Oxford graduate, he was appointed Philanthropist Heather Mills-McCartney is a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield and a Assistant Professor of Zoology at the University of California at Berkeley in 1967; United Nations Association Goodwill Ambassador, who has campaigned to raise he returned to Oxford in 1969 and has been a Fellow of New College since 1970. funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines. She counsels people from A bestselling author, his titles include The Selfish Gene (1976); more recent titles across the globe who have lost limbs in accidents, through illness or as a result of include River Out of Eden (1995), Climbing Mount Improbable (1996) and terrorist activities. Her work has earned her a Nobel Prize nomination and a num- Unweaving the Rainbow (1998). ber of UK awards. In August 1993, she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle and suffered the loss of her left leg below the knee. SisterFrances Dominica MUniv Notable contribution to the educational Her prosthetic leg had to be regularly replaced – prompting her to or cultural wellbeing of society instigate a nationwide appeal for the donation of unwanted prostheses for Wednesday 25 June Milton Keynes amputees and survivors of landmine explosions around the world. Sister Frances Dominica is the founder and chair of trustees of Helen House, the world’s first children’s hospice, which opened in Oxford in 1982, and of Douglas Beverley Naidoo DUniv Notable contribution to the educational House, which will provide respite for people aged from 16 to 40; it is due to open or cultural wellbeing of society in June 2003. She continues as a Sister of All Saints Sisters of the Poor and is a Saturday 3 May Cardiff Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Oxfordshire.