Eight set to receive honorary degree

Eight honorary degrees are being awarded by a Coventry university to celebrate the achievements of inspirational individuals.

The degrees are being awarded as part of University of Warwicks's 60th anniversary celebrations.

BBC journalist Clive Myrie, author Tracy Chevalier and YouTuber Colin Furze are among those selected for the accolade.

The university said each person's story was chosen to help inspire the next generation of graduates.

The full list of those set to receive an honorary degree from the university is below:

• Baroness Catherine Ashton (Hon DLitt)

Baroness Catherine Ashton is a former UK Minister and the EU's first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy between 2009 and 2014.

She was chancellor of the University of Warwick from 2017 to 2024 and its first female chancellor.

• Tracy Chevalier FRSL (Hon DLitt)

Tracy Chevalier is a bestselling novelist whose works include Remarkable Creatures, The Last Runaway, and Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was adapted into a major Hollywood film.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has served as chair of the UK Society of Authors and president of the Royal Literary Fund.

• Clive Myrie (Hon DLitt)

Clive Myrie is a BBC journalist and broadcaster who joined the BBC's graduate journalism programme in 1987. He has reported from over 80 countries, covering major conflicts, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Gaza.

Since 2009, he has been a BBC news presenter and, since 2021, he has hosted Mastermind.

• Colin Furze (Hon DSc)

Colin Furze is a British inventor and YouTuber known for his imaginative engineering builds, including a hover bike, underground bunker, and world-record-breaking inventions.

Originally trained as a plumber, his projects include the world's longest motorcycle, a 71-mph mobility scooter and a motorised pram.

The university will recognise the individuals during graduation ceremonies.

• Talan Skeels-Piggins (Hon DLitt)

Talan Skeels-Piggins is a Paralympian, motorcycle racer and former Royal Navy officer.

Before a spinal injury in 2003, Talan captained a county-winning hockey team, represented Cornwall in hockey and windsurfing, and served as a Royal Navy Lieutenant with deployments worldwide.

After his injury, he competed in alpine skiing for Great Britain at the 2010 Winter Paralympics and became the first paraplegic to race in an able-bodied motorcycle race.

• Dr Gemma Tetlow (Hon DSc)

Dr Gemma Tetlow is Chief Economist at the Institute for Government and a Warwick alumni with a BSc and MSc in Economics. She earned her PhD from University College London.

Her career includes senior roles at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and as economics correspondent at the Financial Times.

• Mark Urban (Hon DLitt)

Mark Urban is a British journalist, military historian, and author with over 30 years' experience reporting on international conflict and diplomacy.

A former Royal Tank Regiment officer, he was diplomatic editor for BBC Two's Newsnight until May 2024 and now writes for The Sunday Times specialising in defence and foreign affairs.

• Professor Ekaterina Zhuravskaya (Hon DSc)

Professor Ekaterina Zhuravskaya is an economist at the Paris School of Economics and EHESS, and co-editor of the American Economic Review.

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