Renowned chemistry expert, author and city leader honoured at city graduation ceremonies

The achievements of Professor Chunli Bai, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Karime Hassan, Chief Executive of Exeter City Council, and Reni Eddo-Lodge will all be recognised at ceremonies this week.

Also honoured at ceremonies, presided over by the Chancellor Lord Myners, are Moria Marder, Chief Executive Officer of The Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust; Rod MacSween a music agent who works with bands such as The Who and Guns n’ Roses; Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage; the Bishop of London Sarah Mullally; and Kathryn Lampard, who led the independent investigations into Jimmy Savile’s activities in the NHS and into concerns about Yarl’s Wood and Brook House immigration removal centres.

Other honorary graduates this year are Professor Joseph Sung, Mok Hing Yiu Professor of Medicine and Director of Institute of Digestive Disease of CUHK, Richard Hughes, former Finance and Regulatory Director of South West Water and Pro Chancellor (finance) of the University of Exeter and curator Teresa Gleadowe, who has worked at the British Council, Tate and Royal College of Art, and now develops projects involving contemporary art and artists in Cornwall.

Professor Chunli Bai’s research includes organic molecular crystal structure, EXAFS, molecular nanostructure and scanning tunneling microscopy. He is President of the Alliance of International Science Organisations in the Belt and Road Region. He has been an elected member or foreign member of globally-recognised science or engineering academies in approximately 20 countries and territories, including the Royal Society in the UK

Mr MacSween founded International Talent Booking after graduating from the University of Exeter in chemistry and statistics, where he got his first experience of the music industry as Student Guild social secretary, booking artists who were in their early musical careers like The Who, Pink Floyd and Robert Plant’s ‘Band of Joy’. He now represents Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, Kiss, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam and Robert Plant.

Karime Hassan has been Chief Executive and Growth Director at Exeter City Council since 2013. He has been involved with many of the city’s most significant milestones and developments such as Princesshay and the Met Office moving to Exeter. He set up the growth programme for Exeter and East Devon that has brought forward Cranbrook new town and Exeter Science Park. Karime has also led initiatives such as Well Being Exeter, the Sport England local delivery pilot and Exeter City Futures.

He said: “It is an absolute privilege for me to receive the award of an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter.  The University has been such an important part of my career at Exeter, it is the backbone of our local economy and has led our transformation from county town to knowledge economy; it is a remarkable institution.”

The Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust is an Exeter-based Trust set up in 2013 to transform the quality of education and life chances for all pupils in Exeter. During Ms Marder’s time as headteacher of St James School in Exeter it transformed from one of the lowest performing schools in the country to one of the top performing in Devon for both progress and attainment.

The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally was the youngest Chief Nursing Officer for England. She was ordained in 2001 and was the fourth woman bishop to be appointed by the Church of England, and the first in the South West, where she was the Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Bishop Sarah was confirmed as the 133rd Bishop of London last year.

Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter, said: “Graduation is a very special moment for our students, and their families, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements. We are also very proud to recognise the immense contribution our honorary graduates have made to people’s lives locally, nationally and internationally.”