Honorary trio join GCU summer graduations

Students from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)’s School of Health and Life Sciences and School of Engineering and Built Environment celebrated their graduations with a trio of special honorary guests.

The students celebrated their achievements at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall along with film visual effects wizard Steve Begg, Microsoft Xbox's ‘father of invention’ Boyd Multerer and the United Nations Global Compact founder Georg Kell.

Boyd Multerer is a software developer who played a key role in the foundation of Xbox Live and the development of the operating systems for Microsoft’s globally successful home-gaming consoles, Xbox One and Xbox 360. He has been hailed by Microsoft as Xbox's ‘father of invention’. He received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering.

Boyd told students that “the future belongs to those who see it coming”, before recounting his own experiences upon graduation.

He said: “There are two things you should all now do. Make sure you do something you’re passionate about, but make sure that you also solve the problems people care about.”

Steve Begg, who received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering, has been in the film industry for nearly 30 years, working on visual effects for television shows, commercials and major feature films, amassing a list of credits including Aliens, Tomb Raider, Batman, Kingsman and Casino Royale, Skyfall and Spectre.

Steve revealed how he grew up in an Edinburgh council house "a million miles away from Hollywood". However, he wasn't deterred from his ambition and taught himself the basics of animation and visual effects which laid the foundations of his career.

He said: "Never give up on your end goal. I didn't, and now I'm doing what I always dreamed of."

Georg Kell, recipient of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, is the founder and former Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative with over 12,000 corporate signatories in more than 170 countries.

Georg said: “One of the beauties of life is that you don’t know what’s around the corner – you may hit a wall but you may find sunshine, even on a rainy day.

“Never forget that what connects us as human beings is stronger than that what divides us. The enemy is us, but it is more rewarding to build something than destroy it. Also remember that ideas are the most powerful gift we have. Follow yours.”