Each year universities award Honorary Fellowships to those who have made an outstanding contribution to society, or an outstanding achievement by an individual in a given field

 

Indian street food entrepreneur Nisha Katona is among a list of leading figures who will become Honorary Fellows of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) this summer.

Each year universities award Honorary Fellowships to those who have made an outstanding contribution to society, or an outstanding achievement by an individual in a given field.

Other prominent business figures who will receive the accolade from LJMU include Baltic Creative CIC managing Mark Lawler and Mike Houghton, managing director of industrial and digital giant Siemens.

Interim Vice-Chancellor and LJMU chief executive, Mark Power, said: “They reflect our passion and commitment to our city and to making a difference to the lives of people around the world. We look forward to them taking on their new role and continuing to inspire our staff and students.”

 

The Fellowship is not a reflection of academic distinction and it carries no formal duties. It represents an opportunity to recognise and honour, in public, people who then continue their association with LJMU through a variety of activities with students and staff.

The full list of Honorary Fellowships:

Alex Brooker

LJMU alumnus, Alex Brooker is a journalist, presenter and comedian best known for his television work on Channel 4 where he is co-host of the weekly panel show The Last Leg. Alex will be honoured in recognition of his personal commitment and dedication to redefining the presence of disability.

Janet Dugdale

Director of Museums at National Museums Liverpool, Janet is responsible for the collections and curatorial teams at National Museums Liverpool’s five museum venues. She will be honoured in recognition of her advocacy and commitment to curating and celebrating Liverpool culture.

Rod Hill

Having served 17 years as a Governor of LJMU, Rod Hill retired as chair of the Board of Governors and Pro-Chancellor in 2018. Rod will be honoured in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sustained success of the university.

Mike Houghton

As managing director of Siemens, Mike is working with universities and industry through the Catapult Programme focusing on research to address the industrial challenges of the digital revolution.  Mike will be honoured in recognition of his professional achievement and as a champion for the future of engineering.

Nisha Katona

Former barrister Nisha left the law to follow her passion as a curry evangelist in the form of food writing and presenting and the foundation of the growing chain of Mowgli restaurants which began in Liverpool. Nisha will be recognised for her outstanding achievement in the food industry and as a champion for entrepreneurship.

Jude Kelly

Liverpool-born Jude Kelly is one of the UK’s leading artistic directors who now devotes herself to the Women of the World Festival she founded in 2010. Jude will be honoured in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the arts and for celebrating the success of women.

Mark Lawler

LJMU alumnus Mark is the managing director at Baltic Creative CIC and a co-founder/director of the Baltic Triangle Area CIC.  He heads up ambitious plans for the city region through social enterprise business models developed through the Baltic Creative CIC. Mark will be honoured in recognition of his personal and professional commitment to community business generation.

Paul Nolan

Paul is the Director of Mersey Forest, a growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside, playing a key role in the development of the forest school movement. Paul will be honoured in recognition of his personal commitment to outdoor learning and the promotion of sustainable green spaces.