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Summer 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).

    Presentation of University Prizes

    Presentation of Education Excellence Awards
    These are student and staff nominated awards, recognising outstanding contributions to education and student experience across our University.

    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
    • Executive Dean of School
    • Council Representative
    • Mace Bearer
    • Presiding Officer

    PRESIDING OFFICERS

    Monday 21 July

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

    Tuesday 22 July

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

    Wednesday 23 July

    • 10am - Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources)
    • 12.30pm - Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources)
    • 3pm - Professor Emma Mayhew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
    • 5.30pm - Professor Emma Mayhew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)

    Thursday 24 July

    • 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

    Friday 25 July

    • 10am - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 12.30pm - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
    • 3pm - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

    Monday 28 July

    • 10am - Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources)
    • 12.30pm - Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources)
    • 3pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal

    Tuesday 29 July

    • 10am - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 12.30pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 3pm - Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources)

    Wednesday 30 July

    • 10am - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 12.30pm - Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
    • 3pm - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
    • 5.30pm - Professor Ruth Livesey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

    Thursday 31 July

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

    Friday 1 August

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

    Monday 21 July

    • 12.30pm - Vaishnavi Vajja (Business and Management)
    • 3pm - Deshan Markkandu (Business and Management)

    Tuesday 22 July

    • 10am - Mariam Hamam (Business and Management)
    • 12.30pm - Lucy Parry (Business and Management)
    • 3pm - Maryam Imran (Business and Management)
    • 5.30pm - Samara Bastaki (Business and Management)

    Wednesday 23 July

    • 10am - Michael Liu (Economics)
    • 12.30pm - Aaliyah Gyamfi (Economics)
    • 3pm - Daniela Garcia Leon (Politics, International Relations and Philosophy)
    • 5.30pm - Andrea Demetriou (Law and Criminology)

    Thursday 24 July

    • 10am - Magdalena Gromek (Law and Criminology)
    • 12.30pm - Kantinan Tomongkhon (Law and Criminology)
    • 3pm - Jena Norrell (Law and Criminology)

    Friday 25 July

    • 10am - Mia Davis (Drama, Theatre and Dance)
    • 12.30pm - Jorele Simons (Media Arts)
    • 3pm - Harvey Lok (Music)

    Monday 28 July

    • 10am - Ruby Tomlinson (Biological Sciences)
    • 12.30pm - Olivia Rose Drew Tomlinson (Biological Sciences)
    • 3pm - Maryam Ahmadi (Geography)

    Tuesday 29 July

    • 10am - Reha Kumar (Psychology)
    • 12.30pm - Eleftheria Zacharenia Vettou (Psychology)
    • 3pm - Janat Liaqat (Psychology)

    Wednesday 30 July

    • 10am - Barnaby Bouchard (English)
    • 12.30pm - Aminah Rahman (English)
    • 3pm - Chelsey White (Classics)
    • 5.30pm - Daragh O'Kane (History)

    Thursday 31 July

    • 10am - Rohan Dhunna (Computer Science)
    • 12.30pm - Irene Vazquez Gomez (Computer Science)
    • 3pm - Priya Chaudhary (Computer Science)

    Friday 1 August

    • 10am - JJ  Littleton (Electronic Engineering)
    • 12.30pm - Ariel Shimoni (Physics)

    MUSIC AND STUDENT MUSICIANS

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

    • Christopher Bacon - Violin
    • Lingling Bao-Smith - Violin
    • Claudia Buchana - Cello
    • Oliver Grimes - Cello
    • Kian Jan-Dickens - Cello
    • Maisie Pearce - Viola

  • Welcome to our global alumni community

    Whether you are embarking on further study, 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: 

    Discounts on further study
    Alumni who enrol on a postgraduate course at Royal Holloway are automatically given a 15% discount on tuition fees for the first year. You don’t even need to apply for it! To be eligible, you must have Home or International fee status and have successfully completed an undergraduate degree at Royal Holloway. Read more.

    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 2025

    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.

    During our Summer 2025 graduation ceremonies, we are proud to be awarding four honorary degrees to Tracie D. Hall, Chris Hines MBE, Dr Shirlene Oh and Sol Rogers. You can read about each of them below.

    Did you know that, as members of our community, students and alumni can nominate inspirational individuals for Honorary Degrees and Honorary Fellowships of the University. Find out more about Honorary Awards at Royal Holloway.

    Tracie D. Hall
    Doctor of Literature honoris causa
    Oration by Professor Robert Eaglestone, Department of English

    Tracie D. Hall is Distinguished Professor of Practice at the University of Washington Information School in Seattle, Washington.

    Formerly executive director of the American Library Association, Tracie was the first Black woman to helm that organization in its 150-year history and has previously served in key library, arts, and philanthropic leadership roles across the USA including Seattle, New Haven, Hartford, and Queens Public Libraries; The Boeing Company, where she worked as a community investor in the Global Corporate Citizen division; Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science, where she served as Assistant Dean; Deputy Commissioner for Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; and Culture Program Director at The Joyce Foundation.

    Holding degrees from University of California at Santa Barbara, Yale University, and University of Washington, Tracie’s work has focused on advancing early and adult literacy, intellectual freedom; and the right to read. In 2022, she received the National Book Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, Tracie was named to TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people and received the Medal for Freedom of Speech and Free Expression from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Institute.

    Her writings have appeared in American Libraries, the American Bar Association’s Human Rights Magazine, Maine Policy Review, Obsidian, TIME Magazine, and numerous other books and periodicals. She has been profiled by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Chicago Magazine, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, and Publishers Weekly.

    Chris Hines MBE
    Doctor of Science honoris causa
    Oration by Professor Klaus Dodds, School of Life Sciences and the Environment

    Chris Hines has been working and campaigning for the environment for over 35 years and revels in inspiring positive change.

    Co-founder and then Director of Surfers Against Sewage from 1990 till 2000. Regarded as “some of the Government’s most sophisticated environmental critics” by the BBC and “Britain’s coolest pressure group” by the Independent. Chris was then Sustainability Director at the Eden Project for 5 years. He was awarded an MBE for “services to the environment” in 2008 and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Plymouth.

    He now works to deliver positive change by working with clients with a shared vision, including sitting on the BBC’s Sustainability Advisory Group and has recently given presentations to a wide range of organisations from Accenture to Comic Relief and Henkel to the RSPCA.

    …and he still gets plenty of surfing in!

    Dr Shirlene Oh
    Doctor of Science honoris causa
    Oration by Professor Alexandra Palombi, Department of Health Studies

    Shirlene Oh is the Chief Strategy & Population Health Officer at Hampshire Hospitals, where she leads on the New Hospital Programme, sustainability, and strategic partnerships across the wider health and care ecosystem. She is at the forefront of driving system-wide transformation to improve population health and wellbeing through future-oriented innovation and inclusive collaboration.

    Her approach combines visionary thinking with practical delivery, engaging communities, clinicians, system leaders and partners to co-design a hospital that is digitally enabled, environmentally sustainable, and deeply embedded in its local context. Under her leadership, the programme is as much about building a place of care as it is about building a healthier, more connected future for the population it serves, acting as a catalyst for economic regeneration and social cohesion.
    Shirlene champions sustainability, embedding environmental responsibility into every aspect of strategic planning and operational delivery. Her work ensures that health services not only reduce their carbon footprint, but actively contribute to planetary health. Through her stewardship, Hampshire Hospitals is integrating green infrastructure, sustainable procurement, and climate-resilient care models to lead the way in environmentally conscious healthcare.

    In her role shaping strategic partnerships, Shirlene brings together a diverse range of stakeholders from across the public, private, academic and voluntary sectors. She is passionate about the creation of integrated care models that tackle complex challenges like health inequalities and social determinants of health. Her leadership is defined by a systems-thinking approach, bringing people together around shared outcomes to deliver lasting impact.

    Prior to her current role, Shirlene held senior positions in both the public and private sectors, including Vice President roles at GlaxoSmithKline—where she led the Sustainable Health Lab and global supply strategy—and at Imperial College Health Partners, advancing health innovation at scale. She holds a PhD, an MBA, and a MAS in Population Health, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Sol Rogers
    Doctor of Science honoris causa
    Oration by Professor Peter Richardson, Department of Media Arts

    Sol Rogers is the Global Director of Innovation at Magnopus, a pioneering technology company creating immersive experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds. With over 25 years in the industry, he leads world-class teams across spatial computing, mixed reality, and virtual production—delivering award-winning work for the likes of Disney, Epic Games and Meta with world wide reach and global impact.

    A serial entrepreneur Sol was previously the Founder & CEO of REWIND, a trailblazing immersive studio acquired by Magnopus in 2021. He is a recognised leader in the XR space, serving as Chair of BAFTA’s Immersive Entertainment Advisory Group, Chairman of Immerse UK, and Advisor to the UK Government, Department for Business & Trade, and the OECD on immersive and emerging technologies.

    A former university lecturer who educated thousands in games, VFX, and digital innovation, Sol believes time is our most and only true valuable resource—and despite his many achievements, raising his wild identical twin sons remains his proudest and most meaningful accomplishment.

     

     

  • 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.