Glittering prizes

The University of Bradford has awarded honorary degrees to: Richard Gregory, managing director of Yorkshire Television (DLitt);

Geoffrey Richmond, chairman of Bradford City FC (DLitt); Pam Liversidge, managing director of steel firm Quest Investments (DEng); David Binns, wildlife artist (DLitt); David Howson, emeritus professor and co-founder of the electronic imaging and media communications department (DUniv); George Layton, actor and writer (DLitt); Amanda Neville, head of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (DLitt); John Robinson, chairman of the Smith and Nephew Foundation (DUniv); Sheila Allen, emeritus professor of sociology, (DUniv).

The University of Sheffield has awarded honorary degrees to: Sir James Gowans, former director of the Medical Research Council Cellular Immunology Unit (MD); Peter Robson, professor of electronic and electrical engineering at Sheffield (DEng); Anthony Ledwith, chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (DSc); Roger Needham, managing director of Microsoft Research Ltd (DSc); James McQuaid, director, science and technology (DEng); Emma Kirkby, international soprano (DMus); Yang Berhormat Dato'Sri Najib, education minister in Malaysia (LLD); Stuart Johnson, member of the council of the university (LLD); Roy Millington, founder member of the department of information studies (DLitt); Colin Lucas, vice-chancellor of Oxford University (DLitt); Lord Justice Kennedy, Lord Justice of Appeal (LLD); Hugh Bevan, former chair in law at the University of Hull (LLD).

Birmingham University awarded honorary degrees to: Richard Borcherds, Royal Society professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge (DSc); David Ford, regius professor of divinity and fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge (DD); Stuart Hall, former professor of sociology at the Open University (DLitt); Seamus Heaney, poet (DLitt); Sir John Houghton, former chief executive of the meteorological office (DSc); General Sir Mike Jackson, commander of the Nato rapid reaction corps (LLD); Gebhardt von Moltke, German ambassador (LLD); Kathleen Richardson, first woman president of the Methodist Conference (DD); John Robinson, president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (DEng); The Earl of Selborne, chair of the House of Lords select committee on science and technology (DSc); Amartya Sen, economist (DSc); Sir David Wright, chief executive for trade to Japan (LLD); Terence Wright, director of research and development for Kodak Ltd, (DEng).