University of Exeter 2026 graduates celebrate during special ceremonies
This summer 6,760 students graduated in Exeter ceremonies, joined by 15,000 guests attending across 24 ceremonies.
Thousands of new University of Exeter graduates have celebrated their academic achievements with their loved ones during special ceremonies.
This summer 6,760 students graduated in Exeter ceremonies, joined by 15,000 guests attending across 24 ceremonies.
The class of 2026 marked the occasion alongside a leading philanthropist and other prominent figures from the arts, broadcasting, charity and business who received honorary degrees.
This included Andrew Moreman, Chief Executive of Young Devon, a leading charity supporting young people across the county and the entrepreneur Steve Morgan CBE, Chairman of Bridgemere and one of the UK’s leading philanthropists.
Iwona Blazwick OBE, Luis Juste and Charles Landry were also given honorary degrees.
Professor Lisa Roberts, University of Exeter President and Vice Chancellor, said: “I would like to congratulate all those graduating this year. It is always wonderful to be part of our special graduation ceremonies and witness how much they mean to everyone involved. I wish our class of 2026 all the best for the future, they will always be part of the University of Exeter family.”
Andrew Moreman has held senior leadership roles in local authority youth services in Kent, Sussex, Hackney and Melbourne, and has led voluntary sector organisations in Lambeth and Sussex. Originally qualifying as a youth worker in the late 1990s, and served as a founding commissioner of the South West Social Mobility Commission.
Mr Moreman said: “It is an unexpected and overwhelming honour to be awarded this degree. As is true for so much of life, nothing I have achieved in my career has been possible alone. I’m always indebted to my colleagues for their dedication to our work with local young people. This honour is as much for them as it is for me.
At the age of 21 Steve Morgan established Redrow, which he grew to be a FTSE 250 company and one of the UK’s most successful homebuilders. Steve stepped down as Chairman of Redrow in 2019. Steve also owned Wolverhampton Wanderers from 2007 to 2016. In 2001 he set up the Steve Morgan Foundation to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Steve Morgan said: “I am honoured and deeply grateful to receive this Honorary Degree of Laws from the University of Exeter. To be recognised by such a distinguished institution is a great source of pride. It is also a reflection of the remarkable people I have worked alongside over the years, both in business and in philanthropy. I firmly believe that business, at its best, is a force for good which has enabled me to give back to others less fortunate. The true measure of success lies not just in what we build for ourselves, but in what we create for others.”
Iwona Blazwick OBE, Luis Juste and Charles Landry were also given honorary degrees.
Ms Blazwick is formerly Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Head of Exhibitions and Displays at Tate Modern and Director of Exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art. She established the Max Mara Art Prize for Women and serves on the advisory committee for the Fourth Plinth in London. Her writings on the art and artists of our time have been published worldwide.
Mr Juste implemented the global initiative Santander Universities in 11 Ibero-American Countries.
Charles Landry is a prominent figure in city development and innovation. Best known for authoring The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators and The Art of City Making; these publications revolutionised the approach to city planning and management. He established Comedia, a think tank, publisher and consultancy in 1978 and co-founded the Creative Bureaucracy Festival in Berlin.
