Graduations November 2024

Last week’s ceremonies at University of Northampton (UON) welcomed more than 8,600 graduates and their guests over four days.

This year’s ceremonies were back at their traditional home – Royal & Derngate theatre – after the Cinch Stadium/Franklin’s Gardens temporarily stepped in as host for previous ceremonies. There were 12 ceremonies held over 4 days and the week in figures also includes:

• Over 2,350 students attended in total.
• They were joined by just over 6,300 of their guests.
• The ceremonies were supported by over 250 members of UON staff.
• Student prizes and awards – 67 in fact – to those who had pushed that little bit further during their time at the University.

The University also officially welcomed two new Pro Chancellors. Phyll (‘Lady Phyll’) Opoku-Gyimah is the nucleus of the award-winning celebration and protest that is UK Black Pride. Founded in 2005, UK Black Pride is Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent and is a safe space to celebrate diverse sexualities, gender identities, gender expressions and cultures.

The second Pro Chancellor is Dallas Campbell, who completed his undergraduate degree in Drama at Nene College – which would become University of Northampton – in 1992.

For nearly two decades he’s been at the forefront of popular science in the UK. He’s presented many of the highest profile factual programmes on television, programmes which lift the curtain on our human planet, aimed at audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Dallas’ mission is to inform, educate and entertain is at the heart of everything Dallas does. He is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) ambassador and has been involved with hundreds of educational initiatives world-wide, encouraging young people to think creatively about science and technology and to embrace the pleasures of finding things out.

Anji Farrow-Tempest is part of the team who delivered the events. She sums up the thoughts of her colleagues: “The Ceremonies are a magical time for our newest graduates and their families.

“It was also lovely to return to our traditional Graduations home of Royal & Derngate, after Cinch Stadium/Franklin’s Gardens stepped up so magnificently as a temporary base. We wish all our newest gradates the very best as they embark on the next, big chapter of their lives.”

View the full programme for the November 2024 Graduation Ceremonies.