Press Release: Honorary Degrees to be awarded on 26 and 27 February 2010

26 July 2011

Sir Martin Jacomb, Chancellor of The University of Buckingham, will confer Honorary Degrees on the following at the graduation ceremonies to be held on 26 and 27 February at the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, in Buckingham:

John Blundell (Doctor of Science)
Sir Stuart Hampson (Doctor of Science)

For further details on each of our Honorary Graduands please see Notes to Editors, below.

At the first ceremony beginning at 15:00 on Friday 26, Sir Stuart Hampson will have his degree conferred upon him.

John Blundell will have his degree conferred upon him at the second ceremony, held on Saturday 27, beginning at 11:30.

There will be a photo opportunity during each ceremony.

Notes to Editors:

John Blundell was educated at King’s School, Macclesfield, and at the London School of Economics. He headed the Press, Research and Parliamentary Liaison Office at the Federation of Small Businesses from 1977 to 1982, and was a London Borough of Lambeth councillor from 1978 to 1982.

From 1982 to 1993 he was resident in the United States, where he was President of the Institute for Humane Studies (1988-1991); President of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (1987-1991); President of the Board of the Congressional Schools of Virginia (1988-1992); and President of the Charles G Koch and Claude R Lambe Charitable Foundations (1991-1992).

John Blundell became Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs on 1 January 1993.

John Blundell is a Director of Fairbridge and of the International Policy Network and Chairman of the Institute Development and Relations Committee of the board of Atlas Economic Research Foundation (USA).

Sir Stuart Hampson was educated at the Royal Masonic School, Bushey and St John’s College, Oxford.

Sir Stuart joined the John Lewis Partnership in 1982 following a 12 year career in the Civil Service. In 1986 he was appointed to the Partnership’s Central Board as Director of Research and Expansion. The Deputy Chairmanship was added to his Partnership responsibilities in May 1989 and he became the fourth Chairman of the Partnership in 1993, a position he held for 14 years until his retirement in March 2007.

Sir Stuart chaired the team tackling Economic Renewal in deprived communities, and he is one of the Prince of Wales’s Ambassadors in this area. He has been a member of the Corporate Leaders Group pressing the government for stronger action on climate change.

Sir Stuart is a patron of the The Home Farm Trust Ltd, a national charity providing long term support for people with learning disabilities and their families.