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Thousands of successful students will be gathering at The University of Nottingham this week for the triumphant culmination of their studies.
More than 2,500 students will gather at six graduation ceremonies, from December 8 to 10, to formally receive their degrees and become graduates of the University.
The University will also be giving honorary degrees to two individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the institution over many years.
Tan Sri Dato’ Lodin Bin Wok Kamaruddin played an active role in the setting up of the University’s Malaysia Campus; while Jane Forman Hardy has given more than 18 years service on the University Council, including four years as Pro-Chancellor.
Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin has been the Chief Executive of Malaysia’s Armed Forces Provident Fund since 1982 and the Group Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Boustead Holdings Berhad, one of Malaysia’s most diversified and established conglomerates, since 1991.
He is also the Deputy Chairman of Affin Holdings Berhad, a financial supermarket with interest in a retail bank, an Islamic bank, an investment bank and a life and general insurance business. He has extensive experience in not only managing a provident fund but also in the establishment, restructuring and management of business interests ranging from plantations, trading, banking, property development, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and shipbuilding.
Tan Sri Lodin played an active role in the setting up of the University’s Malaysian campus in 2000, working closely with the former Vice-Chancellor of the University, Sir Colin Campbell, and also Tengku Rithauddeen — a Nottingham graduate and former Malaysian Cabinet Minister — with the strong support of another graduate of the University, Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak.
Since first opening its doors in Kuala Lumpur with just 90 students, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) has grown to a community of more than 3,600, based on a purpose-built multi-faculty campus in Semenyih, near Kuala Lumpur. The opening was a historic step — making Nottingham the first British university to open a fully operational overseas branch campus.
This year, the University has celebrated a decade of international educational and research excellence at UNMC, which has been recognised by the Malaysian government as one of the nation’s elite higher education providers.
Tan Sri Lodin will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws at the 3pm ceremony on Thursday, December 9.
Jane Forman Hardy read law and qualified as a solicitor shortly after she became involved with work at a local prison. She went on to serve on the Parole Board, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Hospital Advisory Committee at Rampton Hospital.
She has played a key role on the Council, the University’s governing body, which approves the strategic plans of the institution and is ultimately responsible for its finances, buildings and staff.
She attended her first meeting of the University Council as an External Member in March 1990, served as Vice President of Council from January 1994 until July 2004 and was Pro Chancellor of the University from August 2004 until July 2008, during which time she served as a member of all the main committees.
This period, under the leadership of the former Vice-Chancellor Sir Colin Campbell, saw a major expansion in the University at home and overseas. The University of Nottingham is now recognised internationally in the main world university rankings as one of the top universities in the world.
Jane was a Director of English Touring Opera and is currently a Director of a family business. She remains committed to social justice and education, has been a Magistrate for over 20 years and is a Governor of The Harrow School Foundation in London which includes Harrow School, the John Lyon School and the John Lyon’s Charity.
She is a Governor of St Andrew’s Healthcare, the UK’s largest not-for-profit healthcare charity, and is on the Independent Monitoring Board at Nottingham Prison which is an independent watchdog with unrestricted access to the day-to-day life in the local prison.
Jane Forman Hardy will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws at the 11am ceremony on Thursday, December 9.
Around 450 graduands are expected to attend each of the six ceremonies planned for December 8–10, with a further 150 awards being conferred in absentia at each ceremony.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as “the nearest Britain has to a truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
Facts and figures at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx