University

05 Feb 09

Philip Pullman is one of the leading figures receiving an honorary degree from Oxford

Seven leading figures from the world of science, the arts and a leading architect plus a poverty campaigner and humanitarian are set to receive honorary degrees from the University of Oxford this year, subject to approval by Congregation. Honorands from around the world will come to Oxford to receive their degrees at Encaenia, the University's annual honorary degree ceremony, to be held on 24 June 2009.

Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa:

Mr Philip Pullman, CBE, MA Oxf, FRSL, is a novelist of international distinction. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy, which is being made into a series of films. His novels, many of them aimed at children and young teenagers, have won a large number of literary prizes. These include two awards as Author of the Year, the Carnegie Medal, the Children’s Book of the Year Award and the Whitbread Book of the Year. A former school teacher, he taught in Oxford schools for more than a decade.

Mr Fazle Hasan Abed, is a Bangladeshi poverty campaigner and humanitarian who is the founder and chairman of BRAC (formerly known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee). He founded BRAC in 1972 after the war of independence from Pakistan, to provide relief and rehabilitation to returning war refugees in a remote area of the country before turning to long-term poverty alleviation. It now works in health, education and microfinance and is the world’s largest NGO.

Dr Santiago Calatrava-Valls, is an internationally recognized and award-winning Valencian Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer. He synthesises new technologies and new forms in all his projects, including memorable bridges in Seville and Bilbao, the airport in Bilbao and railway stations in Zurich and Lyon. He has designed the $2 billion World Trade Center Transport Hub which will stand on the site of Ground Zero.

Professor Natalie Zemon Davis, BA, MA, PhD, FBA, FRHS, FAAAS, is a Canadian and American historian of early modern Europe. She has pioneered the use of insights from anthropology to understand the values and structures of earlier societies. Her Return of Martin Guerre, became a major film in 1982. She is considered one of the top historians in the world. Professor Davis will receive her honorary degree at a later ceremony on 18 July.

Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa:

Professor Erwin L Hahn, BSc, PhD, FRS, is best known for his discovery of the spin echo effect in 1949, giving rise to the fields of nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance and magnetic resonance imaging as we knew them today. His pioneering experiments have been recognised in many ways, most notably by the Wolf Prize in Physics, often considered the most prestigious prize in Physics after the Nobel Prize. Based at the University of California at Berkley, he is an Honorary Fellow of Brasenose.

Professor Barry Marshall, AC, MB BS, FRS, FRACP, shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2005 for his discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. During his research, no animal model could be found, so he took the step of drinking a culture of Helicobacter pylori, developed gastritis and took antibiotics and recovered. He is currently Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Professor of medicine at the University of Western Australia.

Degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa:

Ms Mitsuko Uchida, CBE, is among the leading classical pianists of today. She first came to fame for her Mozart and has recorded all of his piano sonatas, a project which won her the Gramophone award. She focuses on the Viennese classics, since her first recital in Vienna at 14, and has lived in London for 30 years.