Lord William Hague has announced the conferral of nine honorary degrees to mark his first year as Chancellor of the University of Oxford. The degrees will be awarded during a special ceremony on 24th February, or at the University’s next Encaenia, Oxford’s annual honorary degree ceremony.
Hague told Cherwell: “I have nominated exceptional individuals whose achievements have been an inspiration to me and also made lasting contributions to society. I am very much looking forward to honouring their accomplishments next February.”
The nominees include Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey; former US Secretary of State John Kerry; presenter of ‘The Rest is History’ podcast Dr Dominic Sandbrook; journalist and Cherwell alumna Christina Lamb; and the British elections pollster Professor Sir John Curtice.
Christina Lamb, who will be conferred with the honorary degree Doctor of Letters, told Cherwell that “Doctor of Letters sounds so cool. And getting a doctorate without having to do any of the academic work has got to be good”.
Lamb added: “I’ve been a foreign correspondent for 37 years since an unexpected wedding invitation took me to Pakistan, and have covered most of the major wars and conflicts of the last 25 years…as a woman in what was very much a male field, I have always focused on what war does to women. In particular I’ve tried to raise awareness of the horrific and widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon.”
Sir John Curtice has also been nominated for an honorary Doctor of Letters. Reflecting on his nomination, Curtice told Cherwell: “I have spent much of my career, which began as a student at Oxford, trying to understand and explain the interaction between what politicians say and do and what the public believe and demand. It is humbling to have this work recognised.”
The University normally confers honorary degrees once a year during the annual Enceania ceremony. But by longstanding tradition Oxford’s new Chancellor is invited to nominate candidates for additional honorary degrees, including the serving Vice-Chancellor of the University and the current head of the Chancellor’s former college.
Hague graduated from Magdalen College in 1982 having read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). Dinah Rose KC, President of Magdalen, told Cherwell: “I am utterly delighted to have been nominated for an honorary doctorate by the Chancellor. It is a great privilege to represent Lord Hague’s own College, Magdalen, in this way.”
The other nominated honorands include the author and conservationist Isabella Tree; New York University Professor Jonathan Haidt; and Lord Clerk Register of Scotland and former St Hugh’s College Principal Lady Elish Angiolini.
Isabella Tree, who is expected to receive an honorary doctorate in science, told Cherwell: “I feel something of an interloper accepting an honorary degree that has fallen into my lap but I take it in the spirit of it being an honour – and it’s a huge one. It’s incredibly kind of Lord Hague to consider me in such amazing company, including Christina Lamb who has long been a hero of mine.
“I don’t see myself as an academic or scientist…I’m just the chronicler, someone who has told the story and – I hope – can tell it in a way that is accessible and can inspire people to see the value in nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis. Without inspiration and hope it’s easy to give up, but nature needs a voice and the world needs change. It’s an incredible honour to be recognised for helping to do something towards that change.”
