Winter Graduations honours students and Life Peer Baroness Warnock

Thousands of University of Northampton graduates celebrated in style at the Winter Graduation ceremonies 2016, after successfully completing their degree courses.

Students donned caps and gowns for four ceremonies which took place at the Royal and Derngate Theatre on 13 and 14 February.

Over the weekend the University also awarded an honorary doctorate to Baroness Warnock, in recognition of her long and distinguished history, both in academia and public life.

Baroness Warnock’s academic career spans the corridors of both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and has seen her work published extensively, mainly in the field of philosophy, morality and ethics.

Over the years, she has chaired a wide range of influential Parliamentary Committees, including the Committee of Enquiry on Special Education, Committee of Inquiry Human Fertilisation and Embryology, the Girls Day Schools Trust, the Home Office Committee on Animal Experimentation and the Advisory Group on Nazi Spoliation.

While sitting in the House of Lords, she used her experiences on a number of medial and ethics based committees, including the Committee Animals In Scientific Procedures, the Medical Ethics Select Committee and the Select Committee on Science and Technology. In addition, Baroness Warnock has been the Chair of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (1973-82).

In the 1984 New Year’s Honours list she was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE). Just one year later, she became a Life Peer, taking the title Baroness Warnock of Weeke. She was a cross-bench member of the House of Lords until her retirement in June 2015.

Speaking about her honorary award Baroness Mary Warnock said: “I was very pleased to receive this honorary award from the University of Northampton; I have great admiration for the work of the University.

“I think students graduating today have a wealth of opportunities available to them, my advice would always to be true to yourself; you will have to work hard, it won’t always come easily and what you have to do won’t always be interesting, but with perseverance you can succeed at whatever you apply yourself to.”

Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton, commented: “The University of Northampton’s Graduation Ceremonies are occasions of great significance to our students, together with their families and friends; it marks the next personal challenge as they enter their chosen career path and joining an impressive roll call of successful University alumni.

“I’m delighted that Baroness Warnock joins the roll call of inspirational recipients of Honorary degrees from the University of Northampton. She has a distinguished career, and has been at the forefront of change across medical, ethical and philosophical decision making in the UK for a number of years.”