Celebrations for class of 2021

The event, on Thursday 19 August. will acknowledge the fortitude of our students, during what has been a challenging time for many, and provide a memorable backdrop to this important day for our Class of 2021. An online event was arranged to mark the occasion, as Covid-19 meant in-person ceremonies were unable to take place.   

Professor Shirley Congdon, University of Bradford's Vice-Chancellor, said: "The fact that our graduating class of 2021 has adapted and persevered - despite living and studying through a global pandemic - is a tremendous achievement and I am proud of, and impressed by them all. They too should be very proud of their success. 

“Although we can't celebrate face-to-face, August 19, 2021 will be a day of celebrations to mark this important milestone for our graduates, inviting them to join us virtually with their friends and families to congratulate them on their achievements.”

The virtual celebrations will include activities allowing the graduates, their family and friends and the city to get involved. 

Each faculty will hold its own virtual celebration, with graduates urged to join in social media chats using the hashtag #TeamBradfordForever. Students have also been invited to book photography sessions the following week where they can be pictured with friends and family in a graduation gown and cap.

Some of Bradford’s most iconic buildings will be specially lit to mark the graduation of University of Bradford students of 2021. Buildings taking part include City Hall, Forster Square Arches, Margaret McMillan Tower, and some buildings on the University campus - all of which will be bathed in gold. The giant plasma screen in City Park will also share a congratulatory video. 

During the virtual celebrations the University will also be awarding honorary degrees to people who have made a major contribution to society. Those receiving honorary degrees are:

Allan Jagger OBE, a former President of Rotary International Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI). Allan is a key supporter of Rotary International’s work on peace, including its scholarship programme that supports students to study peace at one of six designated Rotary Peace Centres around the world of which the University of Bradford Centre is one. In 2014 Allan was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to the training and education of young people as well as his charitable work in Yorkshire.

Professor Jane Cummings CBE RN, a registered nurse specialising in emergency care who has held a wide variety of clinical and managerial roles including executive director at NHS England, the professional lead for nurses and midwives in England, and senior advisor in the Department of Health and Social Care, supporting the response to the covid-19 pandemic. Jane is also a clinical Ambassador for the children’s charity Over the Wall, where she volunteers as a nurse, Clinical Adviser for Perfect Ward, and Chair of the Royal College of Nursing Foundation. She was also appointed as a Trustee of the Covid-19 Health Care Support Appeal, a subsidiary of the RCN Foundation.

All graduates from the Class of 2020 and 2021 will be invited back to the University of Bradford to attend a traditional, on-campus ceremony at a later date. For now, we ask you join in with the celebrations by sending your messages of well wishes using on social media #TeamBradfordForever.