The Chancellor in Cambridge to confer Honorary Degrees

• His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan (Doctor of Divinity)
• Mrs Melinda Gates, Philanthropist (Doctor of Law)
• Mr Bill Gates (William Henry Gates III), Philanthropist and Chairman of the Microsoft Corporation (Doctor of Law)
• Baroness (Shirley) Williams of Crosby, Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Public Service Professor of Elective Politics Emerita in the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (Doctor of Law)
• Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, Professor of Biology and Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco (Doctor of Science)
• Professor Wallace Broecker, Climatologist, Columbia University (Doctor of Science)
• Professor Sir Peter Crane, the John & Marion Sullivan Professor in the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, former Director of Kew Gardens (Doctor of Science)
• Professor Amartya Sen, Fellow and former Master of Trinity College. Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. Nobel Laureate in Economics (Doctor of Letters)
• Professor Wang Gungwu, University Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore; former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong; Historian of China and the Chinese (Doctor of Letters)
• Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Composer and conductor (Doctor of Music)

The Chancellor’s day in Cambridge had begun with a visit to the University Botanic Garden where he was welcomed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard. He officially opened the award-winning new gateway entrance to the Graden on the corner of Bateman Street and talked with Garden staff.

He then viewed an exhibition about John Stevens Henslow, the Garden’s founder, and his pupil Charles Darwin, including botanical samples sent from the latter to the former from the Beagle voyage.

Moving on to Clare College, he was welcomed by the Master, Professor Tony Badger, and met students and staff as he opened the College’s new development next to Memorial Court.

Lerner Court, named after its major benefactor, College alumnus Randy Lerner, comprises two buildings around a landscaped area. The Gillespie Centre has an auditorium and meeting rooms for college and conference use, while a residential wing provides 34 en-suite modern bedrooms.

Designed by van Heyningen and Haward architects, Lerner Court has recently been named one of the 100 best new buildings in Britain by the RIBA.

Click the link above right to watch a video of this year's event with words from each of the honorands.