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BUCKINGHAM HONOURS OLEG GORDIEVSKY

Oleg Gordievsky

Monday 28th February 2005

On Saturday 26th February, Sir Martin Jacomb, Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters of the University on Mr Oleg Gordievsky, the highest ranking KGB officer ever to collaborate with British Intelligence, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to protecting the security and safety of the United Kingdom.

Born in Moscow, Oleg Gordievsky attended the Institute of International Relations, and was subsequently posted to East Berlin, arriving just before the wall went up in August 1961. After joining the KGB in 1963, he was later posted to Copenhagen, where - driven by an unwavering ideological compulsion to protect Western democracy against the Communist threat - he began a relationship with the Secret Intelligence Service ( MI6 ). From 1974 until 1985, Mr Gordievsky remained true to his conscience, endeavouring to bridge the gap between two opposing systems. The British Government derived enormous benefit from his reporting and insights, and his actions did much to accelerate the eventual collapse of Communism. This role, however, came at a high personal price: in 1985, after falling under suspicion from his KGB masters whilst serving in London, Mr Gordievsky was recalled to Moscow, but managed an audacious escape to London. His wife and children were only able to follow some six years later. He was later sentenced to death - in absentia - by the Soviet Government.

Mr Gordievsky is now a respected commentator on political developments in Russia, and contributes to many current affairs publications. He has also jointly published (with Professor Christopher Andrew of Cambridge University) several comprehensive and uniquely authoritative histories of the KGB .

Lady Thatcher congratulated Mr Gordievsky by letter on the conferment of his degree, saying:

"Now that the Cold War is over it is all too easy to forget the dangers which Soviet communism posed to the Free World. We in the West had to be determined and steadfast, but our ultimate victory could not have been achieved without the courage of all those who worked from within the Communist system to bring about its downfall. You were one of these brave figures who did so much to help us understand the Soviet Union's intentions and thus to thwart its plans.

Today we salute you for your contribution to making the world a freer and a better place."

Recipients of Honorary Degrees also included:

Mr Robert Tomkinson, Chairman of the Council of the University of Buckingham. Mr Tomkinson is a qualified Chartered Accountant, and started his career at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. He was then involved in the setting up of a merchant bank specialising in the energy industries, and went on to become the Financial Director at Automotive Products, and then Group Financial Director at Electrocomponents. Now in retirement, Mr Tomkinson has taken up a number of non-executive positions across the world.

The Honorable Pravind Jugnauth, Minister of Finance and Economic Development for Mauritius. A Buckingham Law graduate, he returned to his home country of Mauritius in 1987 and was nominated Deputy Leader of the MSM in 1999. He was later elected Member of the National Assembly for Constituency No.11 and appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources. In 2003 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development.

Mr Lawrie Drury , former Head of Accounting and Finance at Buckingham. A qualified chartered accountant, Mr Drury has worked at Arthur Andersen's in London, run a corporate tax department at Thomas McLintock, and then in 1972 became Principal of Reed Business. He joined Buckingham in the early nineties and has since held many positions within the University, including Head of Accounting and Finance and Pro-Vice Chancellor.

Report by the Publicity Office and the Web Team

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