More than 2,300 students will be graduating from the University of Essex in the largest graduation ceremonies seen at the Colchester Campus.

There will be nine graduation ceremonies taking place from 20-22 July. The University's Chancellor, Lord Phillips of Sudbury, will be presiding over each ceremony. The students will celebrate their achievements with a number of highly respected guests, including writer and broadcaster Joan Bakewell, author, journalist and former politician Chris Mullin and founding professor of the University’s Department of Biological Sciences Sir John Ashworth.

Also honoured for their contributions and receiving honorary degrees are the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC; acclaimed filmmaker and the Mexican Embassy’s former Cultural Attaché Ignacio Duran Loera; and prominent Iranian feminist Professor the Baroness Afshar, OBE.

The Alumnus of the Year award will also be awarded at the graduation ceremony in July. The award has been presented annually since 2002 and recognises the achievements of former students who have made an outstanding contribution in their field. It will be presented this year to Computer Science graduate Dlair Kadhem in recognition of his achievements and significant contribution to entrepreneurship and e-commerce since leaving Essex.

All the graduation ceremonies will be available to watch live online again this year. The live webcast had more than 17,000 hits last year, and was even viewed as far away as Christchurch, New Zealand some 18,898km from the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall where the ceremonies take place. 

Note to Editors
The University’s Graduation ceremonies will take place at the Colchester Campus on 22, 21, 22 July 2011.
Members of the media are invited to attend Graduation. Please confirm your attendance with the Communications Office, telephone 01206 872400, e-mail comms@essex.ac.uk. .
Details of when each honorary graduand will pick up their degree are listed below:
Ceremony 1 - 20 July ,10am
Honorary Graduand: Sir John Ashworth

Ceremony 2 - 20 July, 1pm
Alumnus of the Year: Dlair Kadhem

Ceremony 3 – 20 July, 4pm
Honorary Graduand: Joan Bakewell

Ceremony 4 – 21 July, 10am
Honorary Graduand: Chris Mullin

Ceremony 5 – 21 July, 1pm
Honorary Graduand: Keir Starmer
 
Ceremony 8 – 22 July, 1pm
Honorary Graduand: Ignacio Duran Loera

Ceremony 9 – 22 July,4pm
Honorary Graduand: Haleh Afshar