England boss Roy Hodgson and comedy giant Armando Iannucci are to receive honorary degrees from York University, it has been revealed.
They will receive their degrees at the graduation ceremonies being held in the Central Hall at York University on Friday and Saturday (January 22 and 23).
Every year, the university confers honorary degrees on people who have made a significant contribution to society.
Honorary graduates are selected from nominations by members of the University and often have existing links with academic departments or are York alumni.
Seven have been selected this year, and they are…
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson was appointed manager of the England national football team in May 2012. He is now finalising his plans for England’s campaign in the Euro 2016 tournament in France this summer.
His 36-year career as a manager began with Swedish club Halmstad in 1976 and England is the fourth national team he has managed.
Roy Hodgson had three years in charge of Switzerland, guiding them to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and qualification for UEFA Euro 96, though he left before the finals.
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At club level Roy Hodgson managed top clubs such as Internazionale and Udinese, Blackburn Rovers, Malmo, FC Copenhagen and Grasshoppers.
After his spell with the Finnish national side he became manager of Fulham in 2007. He took over at Liverpool in June 2010 but had switched to West Bromwich Albion by February 2011, keeping them in a mid-table position in the Premier League that season.
Roy Hodgson speaks several languages and has served on FIFA and UEFA technical study groups. He is the England team’s 13th permanent manager.
He was last at York University in April 2015 to launch the Roses sporting tournament.
Armando Iannucci
Writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci is lauded for his TV and film work on both sides of the Atlantic.
The screenplay for his film In The Loop (starring Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander and James Gandolfini) was nominated for an Oscar, and his iconic series for the BBC, The Thick of It, was nominated for 13 BAFTA awards, winning five during its four-series run.
The latest series of his lauded HBO comedy Veep took home several Emmy awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
He is currently adapting a new version of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield for the big screen, as well as a feature film about the death of Stalin.
Armando Iannucci has been a regular columnist for The Observer, The Telegraph and Gramophone, and has had a number of books published.
Edmund de Waal
Edmund de Waal is one of the world’s leading artists. He studied English at the University of Cambridge and ceramics in both England and Japan.
He is best known for his large-scale installations of porcelain vessels, which have been exhibited in many museums and galleries around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain, the National Museums of Scotland and Wales and most recently, the Royal Academy.
His bestselling memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes, has been published in over 30 languages and won the Costa Biography Award.
Professor Chris Somerville
Professor Somerville is a pioneering plant and microbial biologist. He is currently the Philomathia Professor of Alternative Energy at the University of California, Berkeley, and Director of the Energy Biosciences Institute.
A member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Canada, he has received numerous scientific awards.
Professor The Lord Darzi
Professor Darzi is an Honorary Consultant Surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Leading research in best surgical practice, from innovation in surgery to enhancing patient safety and quality in healthcare, Professor Darzi has published more than 800 peer-reviewed research papers.
In 2007, he became a peer and was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health.
Lieutenant-General The Honourable Roméo A Dallaire
General Dallaire commanded the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. His experiences there became the subject of the book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda.
General Dallaire is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec, and a Commander of the Order of Military Merit.
Lord Neuberger
Lord Neuberger is a judge and has been president of the UK’s Supreme Court since 2012.
He led a Bar Council investigation into widening access to the Bar, and served on the Panel on Fair Access to the profession.
Chairman of the Schizophrenia Trust from 2003 until 2013, Baron Neuberger is now a Trustee of Mental Health Research UK.