Over 1,000 graduates from BU’s Faculty of Management collected their degree certificates cheered on by friends and family in ceremonies at Bournemouth International Centre.
They will now go on to work in industries including tourism and hospitality, business, events and leisure, and sport and physical activity.
The graduates were also joined by a host of distinguished honorary doctorate recipients, who were honoured for their contribution to the community and their chosen industries.
AFC Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration.
Jeff, who is a successful businessman and has been instrumental in steering AFC Bournemouth from League Two to the Premiership for the first time in the club’s history, said he was humbled by the award.
“It’s an absolutely incredible feeling; I’m so honoured and privileged. I’m really humbled by the whole experience,” said Jeff.
"Today is not just about me, there’s a huge team behind me. What I do is just part of a huge team so today I’m dedicating this to my family, the football club and the community."
Wheelchair tennis professional Lucy Shuker, who won bronze in the women’s doubles at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics, received a Doctor of Arts.
"It’s so humbling, it’s amazing. I’m going to have such fond memories of my graduation compared to the first time around, which was just after my accident,” she said “so today is one of those memories that I will truly cherish."
The Faculty graduation ceremonies took place throughout the day, and the afternoon’s cohort were joined by Honorary Doctorate recipients James Gibson Fleming and Ore Oduba.
James, who received Doctor of Business Administration, is trustee of the Talbot Village Trust and has recently launched a new telecoms business.
He said: "We are looking not only to facilitate the growth of what everybody is seeing at the Talbot Campus but to create an innovation centre and to harness the enormous energy and world class of people and brains that come through university - and to keep them here in Bournemouth and incubate them in Bournemouth.”
Presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba, who grew up in Wimborne, also received a Doctor of Arts in the afternoon ceremony.
"It’s such a special honour to be here,” he said.
“I didn’t go to Bournemouth University but Bournemouth and Dorset has been my home for nearly 30 years so to be here and to be asked by the university to come back and to receive this award, here with my family, to be here enjoying all of this, is a real honour."
As well as thousands of guests celebrating at the BIC with graduates, hundreds watched the ceremonies live online from as far afield as Kuwait, Estonia and Venezuela.
BU’s graduation ceremonies run from Tuesday 7 – Friday 10 November at Bournemouth International Centre, with over 3,000 students expected to graduate across the week.
BU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney said: “I am so proud of the achievements of all of our graduating students, they have done an amazing job, and its brilliant to be celebrating their achievements alongside their family and friends.”
For more information about BU’s graduation ceremonies visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/graduation
FM grad deckchair
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Ore Oduba Honorary Doctorate
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FM grad hug outside
Honorary Doctorate Lucy Shuker
