Past ceremonies
Find out more about previous graduation ceremonies, and see images and videos from the day.
Relive our past graduation ceremonies
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The 2019 graduation ceremony was attended by around 4,000 people. This included graduates and their guests from 100+ countries.
The two ceremonies on Tuesday 5 March were presided over by the Chancellor HRH The Princess Royal and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Kopelman.
An Honorary Fellowship was awarded to Mr John Cribbin for his commitment and success in developing HKU SPACE.
The 2018 Graduation formed part of the University’s Leading Women Campaign, which celebrates 150 years since the àËÅöÊÓƵ opened is ‘Special Examinations for Women’ in 1868. Ten years later, this led to the University opening up full degrees for women. In both instances, the àËÅöÊÓƵ was first to do so in the UK.
Honorary degrees were awarded to two extraordinary women, who have achieved firsts in their respective fields. Dr Rabia Bhuiyan received an Honorary Doctor of Laws for her work as an advocate for women’s rights in Bangladesh and internationally, and Professor Susan Dev OBE received an Honorary Doctor of Science for her distinguished career at the àËÅöÊÓƵ School of Economics, where she was the first female Professor of Accounting in the UK.
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The 2017 àËÅöÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony took place on Tuesday 7 March 2017 at the Barbican Centre, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
Internationally acclaimed actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Literature.
Attendees of the morning session were addressed by the Mayor of àËÅöÊÓƵ, Sadiq Khan.
The 2016 àËÅöÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony was held on Tuesday 8 March 2016 at the Barbican Centre, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
The Princess Royal presented Honorary Doctor of Science degrees to Dr Lee Kwok Cheong, CEO of SIM Global Education, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr Rolph Payet FGRS, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
The 2015 àËÅöÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony was held on Wednesday 11 March 2015 at the Barbican Centre, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
An Honorary Doctorate of Law was awarded to Nigeria’s Aare Afe Babalola, a distinguished member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
An Honorary Doctorate of Science was awarded to Sergey Yakovlev, Director of the International College of Economics and Finance (ICEF), Moscow, Russia.
The 2014 àËÅöÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony was held on Wednesday 5 March 2014 at the Barbican Centre, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
An Honorary Doctorate of Literature was awarded to Harry Patterson, the globally successful author, whose 85 novels in total have sold over 150 million copies, and have been translated into 55 languages.
Nearly 3,000 people, including over 900 graduates, attended the ceremony held on 19 March 2013 at the Barbican Centre, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
An Honorary Doctorate in Laws was awarded to Martin Bean CBE, the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University.
Over 2,400 graduates and guests travelled from around the world to attend the àËÅöÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony at the Barbican Centre on Tuesday 13 March 2012.
In the evening, almost 600 people attended the Formal Graduation Dinner, where they were treated to a fine dining banquet in àËÅöÊÓƵ’s lavish Grand Connaught Rooms.
The morning ceremony began with a speech from the Chancellor, Her Royal Highness (HRH) The Princess Royal, who congratulated graduates on their achievements.
A number of representatives from teaching institutions also attended, including Dr John Cribbin, School Secretary & Registrar for HKU SPACE, and Julie Noone, Head of Kaplan Business School.
The most enjoyable thing was in seeing such a wide range of nationalities involved at the ceremony, truly a global array of students, as well as the evident delight of the graduates in being presented for their degrees. It certainly felt like a happy occasion.
Dr John Cribbin
The 2010 Ceremony was opened with a speech from Professor Geoffrey Crossick, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, àËÅöÊÓƵ.
In the interval there was a performance from Kezia Bienek (Soprano) and Gavin Roberts (Pianist).
The ceremony was closed with a speech from Professor Jonathan Kyd, Dean of the àËÅöÊÓƵ External System.