Edinburgh Napier University confers honorary degrees and fellowships on distinguished individuals from a wide range of sectors. The outstanding achievements and accomplishments of these individuals make them excellent role models to graduating students. You can explore the profiles of individuals who will be awarded with Honorary Degrees during the current ceremonies below. For a full list of previous Honorary Graduates, please visit the University's website.
Glenn Campbell
Glenn Campbell is BBC Scotland’s Political Editor and a highly experienced broadcast journalist, presenter and podcaster. Leading the BBC’s coverage of politics in Scotland, he contributes across a wide range of Scottish and UK news outlets on air and online.
Glenn presented election debates and results programmes for BBC One Scotland for twelve years and fronted coverage of the 2014 independence referendum. His presentation credits include Newsnight Scotland, Timeline, The Politics Show Scotland, Radio 4’s PM and Any Questions, and the BBC Sounds podcast series Nicola Sturgeon. He has covered the Scottish Parliament since before the 1997 referendum that created it, with spells at Westminster and reporting for Newsnight, Breakfast TV and the BBC World Service.
His documentary subjects include Donald Trump, the legacy of the Lockerbie bombing and the Olympic athlete Eric Liddell. In 2010, Glenn won the Royal Television Society’s Scoop of the Year Award for breaking news of the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Originally from the Isle of Islay, Glenn began his broadcasting career at Radio Clyde and Scot FM.
Glenn is living with brain cancer and founded Brain Power, a fundraising community supporting Brain Tumour Research.
Andrii Kuslii
Andrii Kuslii has more than 19 years’ experience in international cooperation, strategic partnerships and senior stakeholder engagement, supporting Ukrainian communities overseas. Most recently, as Head of the Ukrainian Consulate in Edinburgh, he led the Consulate’s operations and external relations, managing engagement with government bodies, international organisations and civil society partners.
A key focus of his work was developing strategic partnerships to secure political, institutional and material support for Ukraine. Based in Scotland, he worked closely with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to strengthen bilateral links and identify opportunities for cooperation that supported shared interests. He also played an important role in establishing the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Northern Ireland and contributed to the creation of the Cross-Party Group on Ukraine in the Scottish Parliament.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Andrii has supported coordination on humanitarian assistance and now works as a public service interpreter, continuing to build trusted relationships through clear and effective communication.
Shona McCarthy
Shona McCarthy is Chair of the International Fund for Ireland, becoming the first woman appointed to the role by the UK and Irish governments. Established in 1986, the Fund supports peace‑building initiatives across Northern Ireland and the border counties, and Shona is leading the organisation as it enters its next decade of work. She is also the Northern Ireland representative on the DCMS‑appointed UK City of Culture Expert Panel.
Until 2025, Shona was Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, where over nine years she helped establish the Fringe as the world’s leading performing arts festival, rooted in inclusion and freedom of expression. Previously, she was Chief Executive of the Culture Company, leading Derry~Londonderry’s year as UK City of Culture, and Director of the British Council Northern Ireland.
With more than 35 years’ experience in senior leadership roles, Shona has played a significant role in cultural and civic life. She is a recipient of an Eisenhower Fellowship for Innovation and a NESTA cultural leadership award.
Dr Paul Perry
Dr Paul Perry and the private healthcare sector. A graduate of the University of Glasgow, he holds a BSc (Hons), an MBA with Distinction and a medical degree, and has built a career that connects strategic leadership with frontline clinical practice.health and executive with extensive experience across the NHS, digital doctor is a healthcare leader, medical
and partnerships with organisations such as NHS Scotland and global technology partners.systems and product development. Alongside this role, he is Clinical Director for Digital Primary Care and Transformation at NHS Tayside, leading digital initiatives aligned with national healthcare priorities. His work has included the implementation of electronic patient records, advanced prescribing safetyPaul currently serves as Executive Medical Director at CLEO Systems, where he provides clinical and strategic leadership across digital transformation, patient
Paul also holds an honorary academic role at Heriot-Watt University, supporting health‑tech research and innovation, and is a Non-Executive Director of the Positive Help charity, reflecting his ongoing commitment to community wellbeing.
Malcolm Ross
Born in what is now Malawi on 31 July 1960, Malcolm Ross returned with his family to Edinburgh in the spring of 1965, where he grew up and was educated at Firrhill High School.
He first began performing and recording with the Postcard Records bands Josef K and Orange Juice in the late 1970s, helping to lay the foundations of what would become known as indie, alternative or post‑punk music. Despite taking time away from performance to study for a Bachelor of Music degree at Goldsmiths College, London, and to act as primary carer for his two sons, Ross has continued to record and perform internationally. His work spans song‑based music as well as contributions to film, television and game soundtracks.
As an associate artist with Tricky Hat Productions, he works with the Flames Over Fifty drama group and is currently performing and recording with Davy Henderson’s band Bubbles and with Land Surveyor, a collaboration with his school friend Paul Haig.
Will Whitehorn OBE
Will Whitehorn OBE was born in Edinburgh in 1960 and studied History and Economics at the University of Aberdeen. After graduating in 1981, he worked as helicopter crew in the North Sea oil industry before joining Thomas Cook as a graduate trainee.
In 1987, Will joined the Virgin Group, where he spent 25 years helping to build the Virgin brand globally. He became the spokesperson for Sir Richard Branson and ultimately served as founding President of Virgin Galactic, taking the organisation from initial vision to operational reality. After leaving Virgin in 2010, he moved into non‑executive and investment roles, with a particular focus on technology and space‑related industries.
Will has chaired organisations including Clyde Space and Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC, the world’s first publicly listed space investment fund, and served as President of UKspace and as a non‑executive director of the Royal Air Force. In 2025, he was awarded an OBE for services to the space and aerospace sectors. He has served as Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University since 2021.