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Winter Graduation 2025 Programme

Congratulations to all our graduates!

  • Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor and Principal 

    Graduation is a truly special occasion. It is the culmination of all the hard work and effort you have put in during your studies. It is a time to celebrate everything that you have achieved throughout your time here and to reflect on the new foundations of knowledge, friendships, and memories you have developed during your time here at Royal Holloway. 

    Our graduates carry these firm foundations with them as they travel the world and go on to do great things. We would love to hear all about your next steps. Please share your contact details and update us about any changes in your life and career so that our Alumni Engagement team can keep you up to date with developments at the University, including reunions and other events. Our alumni support us and each other and are all part of a lifelong, global community. 

    As a modern and future-facing University, Royal Holloway has a powerful and pathbreaking history rooted in some of the first women’s Colleges in the UK – Royal Holloway and Bedford Colleges, and as a University of Social Purpose, and through living our shared values of being respectful, daring, open and innovative we look to find solutions to global challenges through our education and our research – and most importantly through our globally connected community. I know that as graduates of this magical place, you will want to use your qualifications wisely and well to make a positive contribution, and we at Royal Holloway will be your proudest supporters every step of the way. 

    Have the most amazing day today. I wish you the very best for the adventures and opportunities that lie ahead of you. 

    Professor Julie Sanders 
    Vice-Chancellor and Principal 

  • About the Ceremonies

    ORDER OF EVENTS 

    Opening Procession
    The ceremony begins with the University staff procession. Please stand if comfortable to do so and remain standing until the Presiding Officer invites you to be seated.

    Presentation of Graduates
    Each graduate will be individually presented to the Presiding Officer. As graduates walk across the stage, a department representative will announce their name. Graduates will respectfully doff their hats toward the Presiding Officer before receiving their scroll.

    Graduates are presented in order of their department and level of their degree:

    • Bachelor's degree graduates
    • Postgraduate diploma graduates
    • Master's degree graduates
    • Doctors of Philosophy (PhD).
    • Dclinpsy Graduates 

    Presentation of Honorary Degrees
    These will take place during some of our ceremonies. Honorary degrees of the University of London are awarded in recognition of an individual’s outstanding achievement in their field of expertise, or in recognition of the application of the individual’s knowledge and intellectual ability for the benefit, or the potential, that it offers to society. Read more about this year’s recipients in our online programme.

    Student Oration
    A chosen Student Orator will deliver a speech sharing their experiences and reflections on their time at Royal Holloway. You can find details of the Student Orators below.

    Presiding Officer closing remarks

    Closing recession
    Please stand if comfortable to do so for the closing procession. Guests are asked to remain in the venue until graduates have left for departmental photos in the South Quad

     

    FOR OUR GUESTS

    Applause: Please applaud each graduate after their name is announced - your support means everything to them.
    Photography: Professional photographers and videographers will be capturing this special moment. To ensure clear shots for everyone, please remain seated throughout the ceremony.
    Receptions: Guests are invited to join graduates at their reception after departmental photos have been taken.

     

    MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC PROCESSION

    • Bedels
    • University staff
    • Students' Union Representative
    • Faculty Deans
    • Council Representative
    • Mace Bearer
    • Presiding Officer

     

    PRESIDING OFFICERS

     

     

    Monday 15 December

    • 12.30pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 3pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal

    Tuesday 16 December

    • 10am - Professor Tracy Bhamra, Provost and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global)
    • 12.30pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 3pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 5.30pm - Professor Emma Mayhew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)

    Wednesday 17 December 

    • 10am - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
    • 12.30pm - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
    • 3pm - Professor Tracy Bhamra, Provost and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global)

    Thursday 18 December

    • 10am - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 12.30pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 3pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal

     

    STUDENT ORATORS

     

    Monday 15 December
    • 12.30pm - Narmin Rahimli (MSc Project Management)
    • 3pm - Efa Wilson (MSc Information Security)

    Tuesday 16 December

    • 10am - Moses Okezie (MA Global Health: Society, Culture and Behaviour)
    • 12.30pm - Simran Madan (MSc Clinical Psychology)
    • 3pm - Layla Harding (Dclinpsy Psychology)
    • 5.30pm - Anson Chau (Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (IAPT Programme))

    Wednesday 17 December 

    • 10am - Maria Alonso De La Silva (MSc Digital Marketing)
    • 12.30pm - Madison Johnson (MSc Social Work)
    • 3pm - Adil Moazzam (MSc Business Analytics)

    Thursday 18 December

    • 10am - Aniska Sharma (MA International Media Management)
    • 12.30pm - Amritha Bharathan (MA Victorian Literature, Art and Culture)
    • 3pm - Tana Randle (MA Classical Art and Archaeology)

    MUSIC AND STUDENT MUSICIANS

    The procession and recession music is Rondeau in D minor, Abdelazer suite by Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

    • Nicole Yuen - Violin
    • Livia Domaingue - Violin
    • Hannah Lam - Violin
    • Bella Hughes - Cello
    • Claudia Buchanan - Cello
    • Harry Aldridge - Viola
    • Laura Field  - Viola
    • Maisie Pearce - Viola

  • Welcome to our global alumni community

    Whether you are starting a new career or planning your next adventure, your journey with Royal Holloway continues long after you graduate and the Alumni Engagement Team is here to help.

    As alumni, you have access to a range of exclusive benefits and support including: 

    Professional careers support
    As a recent graduate, you'll enjoy access to exclusive career support for up to two years, helping you navigate your career path, whether you're seeking a job, further education, or a new adventure. Support includes access to one-to-one appointments with Employability Consultants, practice tests and assessments and access to career and employer events. Find out more about the support available.

    Events and reunions
    Join us at alumni events around the world! Make sure you keep your details up to date so you can hear about events relevant to you.

    Have a question?
    Visit Alumni FAQs or contact alumni@royalholloway.ac.uk and a member of the team can help.

  • Watch Live Stream

    Watch the live stream here.

  • Vendors and Merchandise

    Merchandise and memorabilia 

    Today’s ceremonies are being filmed and streamed live. To help you remember your special day, a video of your graduation ceremony will be available to download towards the end of September, free of charge. We’ll email you with a username and password once the videos are ready to download at royalholloway.ac.uk/graduation 

    A range of graduation merchandise is available in The Emily Wilding Davison Building. Campus Clothing offers personalised t-shirts and hoodies as well as other merchandise, including graduation bears and crested glassware. You can visit Campus Clothing in person today or online at campusclothing.com 

    Our online shops 

    You can buy a variety of items from our University or Students’ Union online shops. Whether you’re looking for University gifts or memorabilia. Find the perfect memento of this special occasion and links to all our online shops at royalholloway.ac.uk/onlineshops 

    Conferences and banqueting 

    Today’s catering is provided by the University’s Commercial Services department. Our campus offers a variety of versatile meeting and function spaces to suit every event or occasion, from small meetings to large annual conferences, banquets, and weddings. Residential groups are well looked after, with over 2,500 bedrooms and all dining facilities within easy reach of our meeting spaces. 

    We are pleased to offer alumni a discount on our competitive room hire rates for private functions, events and wedding receptions. For further details or to arrange a visit, please get in touch with us.  

  • News highlights

    Read the latest news from Royal Holloway and alumni news.

     

  • Honorary Degrees Winter 2025

    At this year's winter graduation ceremonies, we are proud to be awarding honorary degrees of the University of London to David Furnish and Peter Hill CB CVO. You can find out more about them below.

    Portrait photos of two men2025 awardees David Furnish (left) and Peter Hill CB CVO (right)

    David Furnish
    Doctor of Literature honoris causa of the University of London

    David Furnish is an accomplished CEO who has championed diversity and inclusion at Rocket Entertainment Group and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. He took the reins at Rocket Entertainment in 2015 with the aim of modernizing and refocusing the business globally for a modern era, while also managing Elton John full time.

    A tireless campaigner, and as Chair of The Elton John AIDS Foundation, David is a leading voice in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ equality, championing the Foundation's critical work in combating stigma, discrimination, and violence. Recognized as Billboard’s Pride Executive of the Year in 2024, David continues to inspire visibility and inclusivity, driving systemic change for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

     

    Peter Hill CB CVO
    Doctor of Science (Social Sciences) honoris causa of the University of London

    Peter Hill was COP26 CEO and Director General of the COP26 Unit from October 2019 to December 2022. Prior to this, Peter was the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director General for the Prime Minister's Office at Number 10 Downing Street. He was also the Prime Minister’s Sherpa for the G7 and G20.

    Previous roles have included Director of Strategy at the FCO under three Foreign Secretaries and roles in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office. In 2009-2010 he worked at the independent Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq conflict. Between 2006-2009 he was in the cabinet of the European Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson and subsequently Catherine Ashton and has worked on a range of security and multilateral issues in the FCO and overseas.

    Peter is the founding partner of NorthStar advisory, a visiting Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics and chair of the international climate not-for-profit organisation Pathways Global.

  • History of the University

    Royal Holloway College and Bedford College, each with long and distinguished histories, merged together through an Act of Parliament in 1985 to form the University we know today as Royal Holloway, University of London. 

    Bedford College was the inspiration of the pioneering social reformer Elizabeth Jesser Reid and was founded in 1849 as the first college for the higher education of women. It was sited at various locations in central London before finding a base in Regent’s Park in 1913 where it remained until the time of the merger. 

    Royal Holloway College was opened by Queen Victoria in 1886, who bestowed the title Royal. Its founder, Thomas Holloway, was a Victorian entrepreneur whose fortune was made in patent medicines, and the idea for a women’s college came from his wife, Jane. Early in its history, the University was housed completely in the magnificent Founder’s Building which also provided a home for the Royal Holloway Picture collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive private collections of Victorian art. Preserved in Founder’s Picture Gallery, the collection was the final touch to Holloway’s generous endowment. 

    Both Colleges became part of the University of London in 1900 and both admitted male undergraduates for the first time in 1965. Then in the 1980s the two Colleges merged, building on the strengths of both to create a first class academic environment. The commitment to innovation and the egalitarian spirit which characterised the founders of both parent Colleges remains to this day. 

    The University of London was founded in 1836 to examine and grant degrees to the students of King’s College and University College London. Up until then the only two English universities in existence were Oxford and Cambridge; both limited entrance to communicant members of the Church of England. Today the University of London is comprised of 17 independent institutions of varying size and is renowned for offering a world class education. 

    The tradition of Graduation Ceremonies within the University’s of London dates back to 1850 with the Royal Albert Hall being used as a venue for most of the last century. In 1992, the responsibility for organising the ceremonies was devolved to the Colleges so that ceremonies provided a more personal experience for our graduates and guests. 

    The Mace 

    The University's Ceremonial Mace was created by Elizabeth Matthews, a local goldsmith. The design symbolises the Victorian heritage of both Royal Holloway and Bedford Colleges and also represents the University’s present status as a multidisciplinary university institution committed to excellence in all its areas of activity. It is based on the Octagon of the Founder’s Building. The head of the Mace, knobs and handholds are in gold-plated silver and the shaft is made of rosewood; this represents the contrast of the red brick, characteristic of the Founder’s Building, with the Portland Stone of the Octagon. The University Coat of Arms has been embossed in enamel onto the floor of the replica of the Octagon.

  • What to expect on the day

    Read here about what to expect on the day.