Our Summer Graduations 2025 are now complete – congratulations to our new graduates and our honorary doctorate awardees, who have joined our global alumni community.
Our hearts are full after watching so many of our students graduate during our summer ceremonies – revelling in well-deserved success, sharing smiles and hugs with friends, families and peers.
You can view our Facebook album of graduation photos here.
We were also proud to see three honorary doctorates awarded, recognising outstanding contributions to racial equality, education initiatives and advocacy for children with special needs.
Honorary awards are given to distinguished academics, writers, campaigners, broadcasters and more, in recognition of the contributions they have made in their fields and to public life.
Read on to find out more about the three individuals who were recognised with honorary degrees at this summer’s graduations.
Victor Koroma
Victor Koroma, former CEO of the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE), received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law in a ceremony on the 29 July.
Victor dedicated 25 years of his career to advocating for the rights of minoritised and marginalised communities in Reading, after arriving from Sierra Leone in 1988 and experiencing racial discrimination first-hand.
His achievements include establishing the first major conference on culturally based violence against women and girls with a focus on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in 2015, and creating the pan-Equalities Alliance in 2014.
In 2017, ACRE established the Rose Centre, providing a safe space for survivors of cultural domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM.
During COVID-19, he supported NHS efforts to increase vaccine uptake in minoritised communities and helped establish a Community Wellbeing Hub in 2022, which now attracts 120-150 participants weekly.
Ruth Pearse
Ruth Pearse, Founder and CEO of Reading-based charity Parenting Special Children (PSC), received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in a ceremony on the 25 July.
Ruth, a Reading alumna who graduated with a BA in Education in 1993, established the charity in 2006 after her own experience of receiving her daughter’s diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay in 2002.
Under Ruth’s leadership, the charity has grown to employ 20 staff members, supported by 15 volunteers and five trustees, helping over 15,000 families in Berkshire and beyond while offering training to around 2,000 local health, education, and social care professionals.
In December 2020, PSC was recognised by HM The Queen as one of four charities in Berkshire that made a significant contribution to society during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year Ruth was nominated to represent PSC at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
Dorothy Dix
Dorothy Dix, Co-Founder and CEO of the charity, Creating Better Futures, received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in a ceremony on the 24 July.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Dorothy was the first in her family and village to attend university, receiving a scholarship to study psychology and physiology at Reading, graduating in 2001.
In 2012 she co-founded Creating Better Futures alongside her husband, changing the lives of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children in rural Zimbabwe through education, support and community development initiatives.
In the UK, her award-winning coaching programmes equip young people – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – with confidence, vital work experience and employability skills.
She joined the University Court and received the University of Reading Distinguished Volunteer Award in 2017. She is now recognised as an industry expert in the small charity sector and regularly delivers keynote speeches nationwide.
You can read more about our honorary doctorate awardees on the University of Reading’s news website, or head to our Facebook page to see our photos from this year’s graduation.
