26th
November 2001
Postgraduate Degree
Celebrations
On Friday 30 November 675 University of Surrey postgraduate
students will receive the congratulations of the High Officers and
staff of the University as they formally graduate. The Chancellor
of the University, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent will preside
at two of the ceremonies and members of The Court of the University
and families and friends of the graduands will be present to watch
the ceremony. During the third ceremony, which commences at 17.15,
the University will award two Honorary Degrees of Doctor of the
University to Dr Andrew Rickman and Sir John Parker. .
Dr Andrew Rickman graduated from the University of Surrey in 1994
with a PhD and he also gained an MBA from Cranfield University through
part-time study in 1993. Andrew's tutor, Professor Graham Reid,
recalls 'He was a very self-confident young man, who was determined
that he would one day run his own large industrial venture.' His
chosen field of study was silicon Optical Circuits, a technological
field that the University of Surrey had initiated in the UK two
years before he joined the School of Electronics, Computing and
Mathematics. Andrew quickly recognised the potential for industrial
success and adopted the technology as the core business of Bookham
Technology, which he has nurtured from the company he set up in
1989 in a room above his garage to a multi-million pound business
with backing from high-technology heavyweights Intel, Cisco Systems
and Scientific Atlanta. The company was valued for flotation on
the London Stock Exchange in April 2000 at £1.3billion and
today employs 700 people and as well as its UK base has offices
in the USA, France, Italy, Japan and China. Andrew was awarded an
OBE in the 2000 New Year Honours List for services to the telecommunications
aspects of home computing.
Sir John Parker is Chairman of Lattice Group, one of the three
successor companies to British Gas plc. He was born and educated
in Northern Ireland and achieved degrees in Naval Architecture and
Mechanical Engineering from Queens University Belfast. He began
his career as a naval architect in 1964 with Harland & Wolff
Shipyards in his native Belfast, with only the aid of a slide rule.
Sir John was largely responsible for the introduction of computers
into the ship production process and he rapidly rose to become General
Manager of ship sales and projects. In 1974 he became the youngest
Managing Director (at 32) in the business when he was appointed
to the position at Austin & Pickersgill, the Sunderland based
shipbuilders. He made his mark by radically revising the ship production
process, which led to his appointment and subsequent rise to Deputy
Chief Executive of the Board of British Shipbuilders. In 1983 he
returned to Northern Ireland and took up the role of Chairman and
CEO of Harland & Wolff, continuing his career in 1994 by joining
Babcock International and succeeding Lord King as Group Chairman,
where he remained until his move to the Lattice Group last year.
In the 2001 New Year Honours List he received a knighthood for his
services to the defence and shipbuilding industries.
A limited number of places are available at each of the ceremonies
for the media. If you wish to attend, or to arrange an interview
with either of the Honorary Graduands, please contact Liz Morgan-Lewis,
Head of Communications and Public Affairs on 01483 873932 or e mail
press-office@surrey.ac.uk.
Note to the Editors
- The University of Surrey is a forward looking, professional
University. Whilst it has gained widespread recognition in science
and technology, it is a balanced institution, with flourishing
programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and
languages and law. The University has a world class research profile
and a reputation for excellence in teaching and learning.
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