“Your journeys are only just beginning”: Imperial graduation ceremonies

Three in-person ceremonies are taking place at the Royal Albert Hall to award postgraduate degrees.

I hope you remain curious and retain a sense of wonder about the world throughout your careers Professor Ian Walmsley Provost

The ceremonies are being held for those who completed their degrees during the pandemic and were unable to attend an in-person graduation ceremony due to safety regulations. Friends and family of graduates around the world can watch the ceremonies on a live stream link.   

Addressing the graduates, Imperial’s Provost Professor Ian Walmsley remembered his own graduation from Imperial: “My experience here opened new horizons for me. It spurred me to explore the world both geographically and intellectually and I hope that you will also find that it does so for you.  

“I found a lasting joy in learning and discovering and using that knowledge to make a small difference. Your journeys are only just beginning, and I hope you remain curious and retain a sense of wonder about the world throughout your careers, as you continue to learn.” 

This is the second of two days of replacement ceremonies taking place this month. Further replacement ceremonies will be organised to allow students to graduate if they were unable to due to the pandemic.   

More information about the ceremonies can be found in the College’s Graduation FAQs.   

Honorary degrees 

Two honorary degrees will be conferred as part of the Graduation Day ceremonies. 

Ross Brawn 

Ross Brawn is Managing Director of the Formula 1 Motor Sports division and is credited for supporting the evolution of Formula 1. Initially hired as a machinist, he rapidly developed his career and went on to play leading roles at numerous highly successful Formula 1 teams. He is an Honorary Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and has received an OBE for services to motorsport. 

Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Julia King 

Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Julia King, has advised the UK government on climate change as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Climate Change and Chair of its Adaptation Committee, providing independent advice to Parliament on building a low-carbon economy and preparing for climate change. In her role as Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial (2004-06), Julia initiated the formation of the Energy Futures Lab and supported significant investment in the Department of Bioengineering.  

Imperial College Medals 

Nine Imperial College Medals will be conferred as part of the ceremonies. The Imperial College Medal is awarded for meritorious or praiseworthy service to the College or for having otherwise enhanced its reputation, mission and objectives. 

Professor Alan Armstrong 

During his time as Head of the Department of Chemistry at Imperial, Professor Alan Armstrong reorganised its research structure to engage a wide range of disciplines and address contemporary scientific and societal challenges. This formed the basis for establishing the new Molecular Sciences Research Hub at the College’s White City Campus, allowing space and infrastructure for major advances in the chemical and molecular sciences. 

Terry Branch 

Terry Branch is Head of Security Services at Imperial. In this role, he has overseen high profile visits, introduced pioneering training for his team, and initiated innovative programmes to promote crime prevention, provide intelligence and develop protection that supports the whole College community. In recent years, Terry has played a crucial role in the College’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.  

Professor Jan Carlstedt-Duke 

Professor Jan Carlstedt-Duke was pivotal in creating the Joint Medical School with Imperial at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His clinical experience is in paediatric endocrinology with research expertise in steroid hormone receptors and a long-standing interest in medical education 

Iain Conn 

Iain Conn served on the College Council from 2010 to 2019, and was Chair of the Advisory Board of the Imperial College Business School for more than 17 years. Iain studied at Imperial, going on to build a career in the global energy markets, industrial operations and regulated consumer markets. He is currently a Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director of BT. 

Dr Kleoniki Gounaris 

Alongside her academic contributions, Dr Kleoniki Gounaris has supported postgraduate students at Imperial to maintain consistently high standards throughout major organisational changes for more than 25 years. She was a key player in the evolution of the Graduate School and the way in which is supports partnerships between students and supervisors. 

Professor Joanna Haigh 

Professor Joanna Haigh was the first female Head of the Department of Physics and her leadership developed new areas of research and strengthened others that are now world-leading. She joined the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment as Co-Director in 2014, where she supported the creation of a unique Master’s programme, a doctoral training programme and a scholarly affiliates programme that contains over 200 academic staff across the College.  

Professor Chris Hankin 

Professor Chris Hankin has an international reputation as an expert in cyber security. His strategic input as Pro-Rector (Research) at Imperial led to the creation of multidisciplinary research institutes and the RCUK academic fellowship scheme. He was also Co-Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology.  

Professor Jeff Kramer 

Professor Jeff Kramer is one of the founding researchers in the fields of Software Architecture and Requirements Engineering. He is internationally renowned in the software engineering community for his research, leadership and service on national and international committees. He is committed to computing education and has served as both Director of Studies and Head of Department for the College’s Department of Computing.  

Philip Notley 

Philip Notley was the Residential Services Operations Manager at Imperial until June 2020. One of his most significant contributions is the annual transformation of the residence halls into the ‘largest hotel in London’, then back again to welcome students for the next academic year. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Philip worked tirelessly to safeguard the residence community and to help provide 300 bed-spaces for NHS workers.