Sir Mo Farah collects honorary Oxford degree
Following the procession, the recipients signed their names in the Honorary Degrees Book at the Divinity School, before moving to the Sheldonian Theatre - where the Encaenia ceremony has been held in some form since 1670.The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Irene Tracey, said the service was a "highlight of Oxford's academic year, offering us an opportunity to celebrate exceptional individuals whose achievements have shaped disciplines, made history and enriched society"."Today, we honour eight people whose work has inspired, informed and transformed the world around us," she said."This year's distinguished honorands come from a remarkable array of fields, and through their vision, creativity and dedication, they have made lasting contributions."
Other recipients of the honorary degrees included Ukrainian history expert Prof Serhii Plokhii, Irish writer Prof Colm Tóibín and German biophysicist Prof Erwin Neher.Scientist and entrepreneur Prof Robert S Langer and historian Prof Timothy Snyder, both from the US, were also honoured during the ceremony.Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, had also been due to receive an honorary degree - but was unable to attend Wednesday's ceremony.
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
41 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chester: Same-sex penguin couple hatch rare chick at zoo
A rare chick has been hatched and raised by a same-sex penguin couple at Chester Humboldt chick is one of 10 to have hatched at the zoo, in what it described as a "bumper year for penguins".Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male penguins, "stepped in to help raise one of two eggs laid by another penguin pair, Wotsit and Peach", the zoo said. The chicks are said to now be days away from taking to the water for the first time. Bird experts at the zoo carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and to help improve the chances of successful Humboldt is the most threatened of all 17 species of penguin. Chester Zoo's penguin team manager, Zoe Sweetman, said: "It's fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme."The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged."The zoo spokesperson said penguin couples shared feeding and parenting duties, and this was supplemented by extra fish provided by the adult penguins swallow this, blending it into a protein-rich soup before regurgitating it to feed the chicks. Eight of the chicks, who live in the zoo's Penguin Island habitat, have been named Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena after constellations and celestial wonders. The other two are to be named in a public vote via social media. Humboldt penguin facts This South American penguin is named after the chilly Humboldt current, along which the penguins commonly swimHumboldt penguins are social animals, living in relatively large colonies of closely spaced burrowsHumboldt penguins travel through the water at speeds of up to 25mphThey enjoy a diet of small fish, such as anchovies, herring and smelt and crustaceansThey are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)In the wild, Humboldt penguins are vulnerable to disturbances in their food chain caused by strong El Niño currents, which happen when surface waters in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chesham underpass drained as council probes hidden spring
A disused underpass that had been described as posing a "significant risk of disease" due to stagnant water has now been drained, a council the removal of the water, Buckinghamshire Council teams in Chesham discovered a continuous flow from a spring emerging through a weep hole in the structure. The underpass, beneath St Mary's Way, had been flooded for several weeks, prompting health Town Council warned that the standing water could become contaminated and serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, particularly during the warmer summer months. This previously hidden source of water is now the focus of a technical investigation.A Buckinghamshire Council spokesperson said: "The next step is the detailed hydrological and technical investigations to help inform the potential future options."In the meantime, contractors have cleaned the interior of the subway and are in the process of removing accumulated litter and debris. The street lighting team has also switched off and isolated the electrical supply as a safety the recent clean-up, the underpass remains closed to the public. Barriers will stay in place while further investigations are carried out and until a long-term decision is made regarding the structure's situation has drawn attention to the challenges posed by ageing infrastructure and the impact of underground water sources on public spaces. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Northumberland Roman Fort mystery over large shoes
Unusually large shoes discovered at a Roman fort have left archaeologists this year, 32 shoes were dug up at the Magna Roman Fort in Northumberland, eight of which were at least 30cm (11.8in) long - the equivalent of a UK size 13 to comparison, of the 5,000 discovered at the nearby Vindolanda settlement in Hexham over the past 55 years, just four or five were that large, according to Roman archaeology expert Dr Elizabeth Rachel Frame said it was still too early to explain the mystery behind the eight large shoes. Ms Frame said the leather shoes had all been found in a defensive ditch, which the Romans also used as rubbish dumps. The largest found at Magna Roman Fort was 32.6cm (12.8in) long, she said. She said there were several theories surrounding their origin."We have to assume it's something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller but we don't know," she said."Are the people living there from a specific region? Could that be why their shoes are so much larger? But at the moment, it's sort of, well, this is unusual." The team knows very little about the shoes, other than the fact they are likely to be close to 2,000 years this year, it will analyse pottery found in the same soil layers as the shoes to help determine which time period they are can be achieved in several ways, Ms Frame said, including looking at the style of the pottery and checking whether those styles were produced at certain times. Beyond the large shoes, the team also found children's shoes at the site. Ms Frame said the team hoped to have a better idea of who was living there at different time periods following more analysis. So many shoes have been found at both Vindolanda and Magna Roman Fort because of their ground conditions, Ms Frame to low oxygen conditions in the soil at the sites, the leather shoes have been preserved for team also recently found a wooden hair comb on the site."It looks like a modern day knit comb," said Ms Frame. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
