Honoraries implore graduates to savour the moment
Four notable personalities shared their industry insight with graduates today as they received honorary degrees on day two of Glasgow Caledonian University’s summer ceremonies.
Broadcaster and singer/songwriter for the band Deacon Blue Ricky Ross received a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Scottish music and culture, and support of the GCU Archive Centre.
He paid tribute to the legendary photographer Oscar Marzaroli and the city of Glasgow for inspiring his song writing.
He said: “It was here on that famous Glasgow grid where the characters for the songs that have marked out my journey came into being. They walked up Buchanan Street, took shelter under Kelvin Way, and travelled in every direction they could from Central Station.
“I am more than grateful to this city for giving me and them the perfect stage to tell their stories.
“I’d like to recognise the great thing GCU has done in becoming the custodian of the Oscar Mazaroli archive and allowing future generations to explore and enjoy his amazing work.
“It was Oscar's photographs which told me about the city and the humanity that is the essence of being Glaswegian.”
Former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard received a Doctor of Laws (LLD) for her outstanding commitment to the advancement of gender equality and access to education.
She told graduates: “I feel tremendously honoured. I know that this university is a world leader when it comes to gender equality at every level... and you should be incredibly proud of that.
“When I meet students today I feel insight, energy and a real passion to save the world. It's a characteristic of the coming generation.
“When I look back, I spent insufficient time savouring the world. Making sure I exposed myself to its beauty, its many delights, to friendship, and to enjoyment.
“Please find those moments of joy in the years to come. Don't walk past them in the interests of career because there's another email to answer or something on social media to look at − hold them dear to you.
“Career achievement matters but so does that. Save the world, savour the world, and please savour this moment, I know I am.”
Author Bernardine Evaristo OBE received a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) for her outstanding contribution to literature and human rights. She has won many prizes for her literary works over the years, including the Booker Prize in 2019 and the British Book Awards: Fiction Book of the Year and Author of the Year in 2020. She is a longstanding advocate for the inclusion of writers and artists of colour.
She told graduates: “Confidence is something that you all have to a certain degree, but it’s something that you can grow and develop over the course of your lifetime. Self-belief is believing in the possibility of who you are in the world and what you can do in the world.
“My advice is to have a goal of what you want to do at this stage in your life and to work towards it, but to accept that that goal might change. If you don’t have a goal or a series of goals throughout your life, it is very easy to give up.”
Philanthropist Daniel Schwartz received a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) for his outstanding contribution to philanthropy, having been at the forefront for more than 20 years as a leader in the non-profit, philanthropic and corporate sectors, specialising in donor collaborations, multi-stakeholder engagements, and public-private partnerships.
He told graduates: “It is a great pleasure to be here, back in Glasgow, to receive this wonderful award from your University – the University for the Common Good.
“I feel particularly connected to this institution and I am humbled to stand here before the people that I believe are going to change the world for the better.
“I am proud to stand here before you – the University that launched the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Bangladesh to the pioneering work being carried out at the Mary Robinson Centre for Climate Justice.
“These, and so many others, convinced me that you have an outstanding reach on this planet for changing the world for the better – internationally, at home here in Scotland and in the rest of the UK.
“As you go to explore your futures, I encourage you to have the combination of self-belief, moral compass and self-esteem that will make the world a world in which we, our children and grandchildren want to live.”