UWL 2023 graduates celebrating at the ceremony in Twickenham stadium
UWL 2023 graduates celebrating at the ceremony in Twickenham stadium

2023 graduation celebrations begin for UWL students!

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Across two days and eight ceremonies featuring thousands of students, 15 honorary degrees and countless handshakes and hugs, it is time for the University of West London’s (UWL) graduation festivities to begin!

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UWL 2023 graduates celebrating at the ceremony in Twickenham stadium

All the hard work, revision, projects, dissertations, course work and exams will come to fruition as UWL’s incredible students collect their hard-earned awards.

Taking place on Thursday and Friday at the legendary Twickenham Stadium – home of the England rugby team – it will be a chance for graduands to celebrate their achievements with family and friends.

Across both days, the University will also present a total of fifteen inspiring figures from the community with honorary degrees in recognition of their achievements. They are:

  • UWL nursing graduate and 2022 The Voice winner Anthonia Edwards (Masters in Music)
  • Audio engineer, businessperson and member of the UWL advisory board Malcolm Toft (Doctor of Science) for his many achievements in the music industry which includes engineering tracks for David Bowie, T-Rex, The Beatles and Paul Weller
  • Chief Executive at Black Lives in Music Charisse Beaumont (Doctor of Music) for her efforts working for equality and inclusion through research and advocacy
  • Musician, lecturer and director of operations for Black Lives in Music Roger Wilson (Doctor of Music) for championing inclusivity and equality in the music business
  • Former Global Managing Partner of Allan and Overy LLP Andrew Ballheimer (Doctor of Law)
  • UWL alumnus and computing expert Paul Hendrick (MBA) for giving back to the University
  • CEO of Pets as Therapy Clare Davis (MBA) for the charity’s work providing therapeutic pet visits in hospitals, schools, residential homes and prisons
  • CEO of Chiswick Park based Enjoy-Work Matt Coulson (MBA) for his work engaging local community, businesses, schools, colleges and universities
  • Midwifery expert Donna Ockenden (Doctor of Letters) for playing a key role in developing midwifery in the UK and abroad
  • Social worker Amma Anane-Agyei (Doctor of Letters) for her dedication supporting Black African children and families for the past 40 years on health issues like sickle cell and thalassemia
  • Founding CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority and Vice Chair of Forbes Travel Guide Gerard ‘Jerry’ Inzerillo (Doctor of Letters) for championing the hospitality and tourism sector
  • Ealing resident and Chief Financial Officer at Daejan Holdings PLC and Freshwater Group James Southgate (Doctor of Business Administration) for his commitment to helping students succeed in business
  • Clinical scientist Professor Haroun Shah (Doctor of Science) for leading a newly established laboratory for Public Health England dedicated to investigating emerging pathogens
  • VFX artist Josh Parks (honorary Doctor of Letters) for his work integrating digital assets with live-action footage in high end projects including The Martian and The Jungle Book
  • UWL Board of Governors Chair Jennifer Bernard (Doctor of Letters)

Chancellor of UWL Laurence Geller CBE will also be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

2023 will also be the first graduation ceremony for students from our School of Biomedical Sciences. This is a testament to UWL’s commitment to providing relevant, in-demand courses, particularly in STEM.

UWL 2023 graduates celebrating at the ceremony in Twickenham stadium

Professor Peter John CBE, Vice-Chancellor of UWL, said:

Graduation is such a special moment for all our students. It is the culmination of their commitment to study, hard work and personal sacrifice over the years and it is a time to reflect on how far they have come and what they have achieved.

Whatever their field of expertise, I believe that they will have had the chance to grow and develop on their educational journey here at UWL and they are now equipped with the knowledge, skills and expertise that will set them up for future career success. I am so proud of all of them and wish them good luck in everything they do in the future.”

UWL 2023 graduates celebrating at the ceremony in Twickenham stadium

Professor John added,

This is not just a remarkable year of achievement for our graduates, but the University too. For the first time in the history of university rankings – which spans forty years – we were given two University of the Year Awards. We were rated number one for student experience and number one for quality of teaching by The Sunday Times.”

  • Use #UWLGraduation to get involved on social media!

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