The Open University has issued accolades to a group of high-flying individuals who have made significant contributions in their field of expertise or the communities around them.
It was at the OU’s London degree ceremony that four people climbed the Barbican Centre’s stage to receive their honorary awards.
Daniel Tammet
They included: Daniel Tammet, who is an award-winning and bestselling writer whose numerous works explore perception and the neurodiverse experience. The former OU student gained a First in a BA (Hons) Humanities in 2016 and has now received a Doctorate of the University for his services to the arts and sciences.
The 44-year-old has written nine books across a range of genres, from ‘Born On A Blue Day’ (2006) which recounts his growing up on the autistic spectrum, to the essay collection ‘Thinking in Numbers’ (2012), literary reportage, poetry and fiction.
His books have been translated into 30 languages and these, coupled with his self-reflection and insight into the mind, have made crucial contributions to the scientific understanding of autism.
He is the subject of a TV documentary titled The Boy with the Incredible Brain, the BBC Radio 4 documentary Two Poets (alongside Les Murray) and the Kate Bush song Pi.
He said as a small boy his only access to culture was library books. As an author himself he felt his books had universal appeal because they explored inner worlds… “inner lives, neurodiverse and neurotypical, each being almost indescribably rich and beautiful.”
He added:
“It seems to be more important than ever to recall the vital role played by the arts in developing the gifts that make each of us uniquely human: creativity, curiosity and empathy.”
Professor Samson Kinyanjui
Professor Samson Kinyanjui who holds a PhD from The Open University, was awarded an honorary degree for his contribution in research and postgraduate training in Africa.
Prof Kinyanjui is the Director of the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) and head of training at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. Besides research interests in malaria immunology, Prof. Kinyanjui is extremely keen on strengthening health research capacity in Africa.
Over the last 15 years he has raised over £25 million as a principal recipient with which he has supported high-quality research training for nearly 1000 African fellows including 117 PhDs, over 200 Masters and interns.
Prof. Kinyanjui sits on the advisory boards of many research capacity strengthening consortia in Africa and has received several international accolades including the 2019 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Chalmers Medal.”
At the Barbican he said:
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to accept the Honorary Doctorate and an honor to be recognised by an instituion that is renowned for its commitment to excellence, education and for its efforts to expand access to higher education for people all over the world.”
Maryam Pasha
Maryam Pasha was awarded a Master of the University for her work creating stories with a positive impact in the world.
As founder of TEDxEastEnd in 2011, curator of TEDxLondon and TEDxLondonWomen since 2017, now Climate Curator at TED, she has brought the ideas of over 200 speakers to the global stage where they have been viewed more than 20 million times. The stories she has discovered have helped change UK law and shaped policy on child marriage, sex work and migration.
In the last few years, she has worked with scientists, campaigners and policy specialists to design narratives for combatting climate change that have helped raise over $1.2 billion in philanthropic investment. She hosts the Climate Curious podcast and consults for Climate Leadership Initiative and several other leading climate organisations.
Before dedicating her time to climate storytelling Maryam also worked in human rights, as Head of Events at Migrant Rights Network and a trustee of an NGO promoting democracy and civil society in Iran.
She said:
“The Open University’s commitment that everyone should have access to education is an inspiration to millions of people around the world – particularly women and girls – who do not have that access. I’m honoured to become a part of the community of this institution and help to spread that idea.”
Gaynor Legall
Gaynor Legall is an advocate for ethnic minority women across Wales and the first female Wales Councillor from a Black or ethnic minority group.
Other roles she has been involved in include a member of the borad of Diverse Excellence Cymru and direcotr of Butetown History and Arts Centre.
As far back as 1988, she was a founder of AWETU (our unity is Swahili), the first all Wales Black-led mental health charity. After a merger with the Cardiff & Vale Coalition of Disabled People, it is now known as Diverse Cymru.
And in 1995, she helped launch BAWSO, which provides practical and emotional support to BAME and migrant victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking, FGM and forced marriage. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ethnic Minority Welsh Women Achievement Association in 2019.
She said:
“I am truly and sincerely honoured to be granted this doctorate. Everything I’ve been involved in was because… well my mother used to say I was a fussy interfering child and I’ve grown into a fussy interfering woman.
“So I am about social justice. I believe that each and everyone of us deserves the best chance and I cannot seem to restrain myself when I see that something is wrong.
She added that education was a “wonderful thing” and that we were privileged to be able to access it if we chose to.
