Sir Professor Chris Witty and Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir are among those being awarded honorary degrees by Glasgow University.
The honoris causae are given out to recipients in recognition of their achievements in the fields of politics, arts, science, sport and humanities.
The awards will be presented at a special ceremony on Wednesday 14 June which marks the foundation of the University in 1451.
Among the recipients are Booker Prize winning novellist Douglas Stuart, Ms Muir, and the chief medical officer for England Sir Chris Whitty.
Ms Muir, a 30-year-old from Inverness is a five-time European indoor champion in the 1,500m and 3,000m and took silver in the 1,500m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sir Whitty was appointed CMO for England in 2019 and took a high-profile role during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Stuart is famed for being the author of Shuggie Bain, and was raised on the Sighthill estate in Glasgow.
While he had wanted to study English literature as a student he told the New York Times he was discouraged from choosing the subject by a teacher who mentioned that it would "not suit someone from his background".
Shuggie Bain was awarded the Booker Prize in 2020, making Mr Stuart just the second Scotsman to win the prestigious award after James Kelman in 1994.
Others recognised on Commemoration Day are businessperson Sandy Black; economist and director general of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala;and Mamphela Ramphele, academic and anti-apartheid activist.
Honorary degrees will also be awarded to a host of recipients during the University’s summer and winter graduation ceremonies – including lawyer David Lammy; dress and textiles historian Barbara Burman; musician Paul Buchanan; and actor Bill Paterson.
Dr Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, will also receive an honorary reward before giving a Hunter Foundation Lecture as part of the University’s tercentenary celebrations of esteemed alumnus Adam Smith.
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal & Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow, said: “I’m really delighted to welcome such distinguished individuals from a whole spectrum of backgrounds and disciplines to our University community. Awarding honorary degrees is a way for the University to recognise world-changing achievements and celebrate the successes of these individuals.
“As a civic institution we want to do more to make a positive impact on the communities we serve, and build on the legacy of the innovators, thinkers and creative minds the University has fostered over the past 572 years. Each of our Honorary Graduands has made an important difference in their respective fields, bringing benefit to society and to people’s lives across the globe."
The full list of honorary degrees 2023 are:
Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
Douglas Stuart, Author
Barbara Burman, Dress and Textiles Historian
Dr Elisabeth Kendall, Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge University
Professor Jane Roberts, Professor of English Studies
Doctor of Science (DSc)
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England
Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Professor of Physics, University of Queensland
Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney
Dr Ellen Voorhees, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA
Doctor of the University (DUniv)
Sandy Black, Businessperson
Laura Muir, Sportsperson
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Economist
Mamphela Ramphele, Academic and Activist
Josh Littlejohn, Co-founder, Social Bite
Gilbert Houngbo, Director General of the International Labour Organization
Bill Paterson, Actor
Professor Dr Friederike Welter, President and Managing Director, The Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM), Germany
Doctor of Laws (LLD)
David Lammy, Lawyer
Doctor of Music (DMus)
Paul Buchanan, Musician
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (DVMS)
Professor Peter Holmes, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Physiology
Doctor of Letter (DLitt)
Dr Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
Professor Cecilia Rouse, Chair, US Council of Economic Advisers
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