Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Honorary Graduands: Summer 2012

Actor David Bradley, former Liverpool footballer and three-time European Cup winner Steve Heighway and the new Head of the Civil Service Sir Bob Kerslake all feature in this summer’s cohort of Honorary Graduands from the University.

Summer graduation will take place from 16-20 July 2012. You can see a summary of this year’s honorary graduands below, or read brief biographies in the press release.

Monday 16 July

Prof. Jean M J Fréchet

Hon DSc

Professor Jean Fréchet is Vice President for Research, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.
Mr Steve Heighway

Hon MA

Warwick graduate Steve Heighway is a former footballer who played for the hugely successful Liverpool team in the 1970s. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Heighway began his football career in non-league football while completing his degree in economics.


Tuesday 17 July

Professor Sir David King FRS

Hon DSc

Professor Sir David King FRS is Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, Director of Research in Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, Director of the Collegio Carlo Alberto, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and a senior scientific adviser to UBS banking and financial services group.
Dr Alan Reece

Hon DSc

Dr Alan Reece is the founder of Pearson Engineering Limited (PEL), one of the best-performing industrial groups in north-east England, bringing more than £400million worth of business to the region and providing employment for several hundred people.
Professor David Edgar

Hon DLitt

English playwright David Edgar was born in Birmingham into a family with longstanding links to the theatre. He was educated at Oundle School and read Drama at Manchester University. After a brief career as a journalist, he began writing dramatic works in 1971. He is best known for his overtly-political plays, many of which have premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
Mr David Bradley

Hon DLitt

David Bradley is a celebrated character actor of stage and screen. He began his acting career in 1971, at Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, and has featured in a wide range of stage, TV and film productions. He is well-known for playing the caretaker of Hogwarts, Argus Filch, in the Harry Potter series of films.


Wednesday 18 July

Ambassador Barry Desker

Hon LLD

Singaporean Ambassador Barry Desker is the founding Dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and concurrently Director, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS).
Professor Sir Keith Peters

Hon DSc

Professor Sir Keith Peters is Emeritus Professor of Physic at the University of Cambridge, where he was Head of the School of Clinical Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician at Addenbrooke's NHS Trust (1987-2005). Prior to this he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at London’s Hammersmith Hospital.


Thursday 19 July

Professor Isabelle Stengers

Hon DSc

Professor Stengers works in the philosophy and history of science, and explores the links between hard sciences and disciplines such as psychiatry, economics, or ecology.
Professor Saskia Sassen

Hon LLD

Saskia Sassen is a Dutch sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration. She is currently Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, Co-Chair Committee on Global Thought and Centennial visiting Professor at the London School of Economics.


Friday 20 July

Dr Nemat Shafik

Hon LLD

Dr Nemat Shafik became Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund in 2011, having served as Permanent Secretary of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). Her expertise is in globalisation, emerging markets and private investment, international development, the Middle East and Africa, and the environment.
Professor Oliver Hart

Hon LLD

Warwick graduate Oliver Hart is an economist and the Andrew E. Furer Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Born in Britain, he gained a BA in Mathematics at King's College, Cambridge in 1969, an MA in Economics at Warwick in 1972, and a PhD in Economics at Princeton University in 1974. He is an Honorary Professor in Warwick’s Department of Economics.
Sir Bob Kerslake

Hon LLD

Warwick graduate Sir Bob Kerslake has recently taken up the post of Head of the Civil Service, alongside his role as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government. He graduated from Warwick with a first class degree in Mathematics in 1976. During his time here, he was also General Secretary (President) of the Students’ Union and held the sabbatical post on graduating (1977-8).