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Creative and talented graduates at UEL celebrate their academic success

Monday 8 December 2008

New graduates from the University of East London’s (UEL) School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies (SSMCS) celebrated their academic success on Monday 8 December.

Every graduate was personally congratulated by Lord Rix, Chancellor of UEL as they crossed the stage at the Barbican Hall in the City in front of their proud families and friends. He also presented honorary awards to Jeanette Arnold, Lord Andrew Mawson and Marc Isaacs.

UEL is among the leading universities in the UK for research in Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies.

Professor Steve Trevillion is Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies. He is also a leading expert in social work and community care. Professor Trevillion said: “I am delighted to see the creative talent represented here today in abundance. I’m sure that will be reflected in your future professions or studies and I wish you every success going forward.”

Jeanette Arnold is the Chair of the Greater London Assembly and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and the UK delegation on the EU Committee of the Regions. For the past two years, she has also been included in the power list as one of Britain’s most influential Black Women. She said: “This is a feeling that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I’ve had the privilege of working with UEL over many years and it is rightly known as a leading modern university. I start every day with a purpose and that is to do my best .“

Lord Andrew Mawson is one of the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs. Over the course of 25 years, he has led and advised on over 800 community regeneration projects in Tower Hamlets and other boroughs with an innovative holistic approach to community regeneration.

Accepting his award of Honorary Doctor of Arts, Lord Mawson said: "The future of education is learning by doing, it is about becoming more entrepreneurial and we are proud to have been working with UEL to make that happen. If you really want to make a difference in life it’s a lifetime commitment. ”

Award winning Film Maker and UEL graduate, Marc Isaacs has achieved international success at film festivals world-wide. He is currently working on documentary films for Channel 4 and the BBC. Marc has produced 11 films including All White in Barking which won the Amnesty International Award for the best film encouraging the protection and promotion of human rights. He said: “I was terrible at school and I only became interested in studying after I worked on a Kibbutz in Israel. Studying Cultural studies at UEL was incredibly liberating, I really discovered myself and I learnt how to use a video camera. UEL gave me a solid foundation and massive confidence."

The School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies runs a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including Anthropology, Sociology, International Development, Refugee Studies, Cultural Studies Creative Writing, Journalism, Media and Communications, Multimedia and IT, Music and Performing Arts.

Contact: Hana Esselink 020 8223 6239/ 07595 056245 or Patrick Wilson 07951 797975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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