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Leicester Honours Achievement

Honorary Degrees for John Foster and Tarique Ghaffur and Distinguished Honorary Fellowship for Wendy Hickling

The University of Leicester is honouring three major personalities - two people who have a long and distinguished history of support for the University and one of Britain's most senior police officers - at its Jubilee Degree Congregations on Friday 25th January 2008.

The University is celebrating 50 years since the granting of its Royal Charter and the University's very first graduate, Wendy Hickling (née Baldwin) will be awarded with the University's highest distinction - a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship.

Dr Hickling, OBE, who is both a graduate and honorary graduate of the University, will be honoured along with Mr John Foster, OBE, who has recently retired as Chairman of the University's Council. He is to receive the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, as is Mr Tarique Ghaffur, CBE, QPM, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and a former Superintendent of the Leicestershire Constabulary

The University of Leicester is one of the major UK providers of postgraduate distance learning programmes to students around the world, many of whom will be present at the degree ceremonies on 25th January.

Professor Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University, commented: "It gives us great pleasure to honour people in our 50th Anniversary year whose contribution to the University and to society as a whole is indisputable at the same time as we celebrate the success of our students.

"Leicester continues to build on its many achievements and invest heavily for the future. We are ranked as a Top 20 university by The Sunday Times University Guide, The Guardian University Guide and the UK Good University Guide. We are ranked in the top 200 world universities by the THES (Times Higher Education Supplement) and were shortlisted as University of the Year in 2007 by The Sunday Times. Our £300m Development Plan has seen new state-of-the-art facilities come on stream, providing new opportunities for advances in research and teaching excellence, culminating in the opening of our flagship development project, the £32million David Wilson Library, later this year.

"It is therefore appropriate that graduation, a time of celebration of individual achievement and merit, provides an occasion for the University to mark its collective achievement alongside personalities who have contributed so significantly to society."

DR WENDY HICKLING, OBE

Dr Wendy Hickling, OBE, holds a unique place in the history of the University of Leicester. Not only has she taken an active role in University affairs for many years, but in 1958 she was the first ever graduate to receive a University of Leicester Degree.

Dr Hickling (née Baldwin) first came to Leicester as a student of English, at what was then the University College of Leicester, awarding University of London Degrees. The year she graduated, in 1958, the University had received its Royal Charter and she chose to break new ground and receive a Leicester, rather than a London degree.

She married a fellow student the same year and taught for one year in Northamptonshire, before spending the next few years bringing up their four children. From 1967-1992 Dr Hickling owned and ran a nursery school in Leicester, and was Governor to a number of Leicester schools.

From 1992-2006 she was Chairman of local NHS Trusts including a period as Chair of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. She has been Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire since 1999 and was a JP with the Leicester City Bench from 1982-2006. For some years she took an active management role in the local society for the blind, now known as Vista. In 2000 Dr Hickling was awarded the OBE for services to the NHS and the administration of justice in Leicestershire.

During her time as a Leicester student, Dr Hickling played netball for the University College, coxed in the Boat Club and was student president of College Hall. As a graduate she served for two periods as Chairman of Convocation (the Leicester graduates' association) and led the fund-raising campaign for the Library Store. She was a member of the University's Council for 20 years, and is also on the University Court, of which she is now a life member.

Dr Hickling received an Honorary Doctorate in Laws in 1998 for her substantial contribution to the University and in recognition of her work with the Fosse Hospital Trust.

Dr Hickling commented: "I feel both proud and privileged to be awarded this exceptional honour by the University. Since receiving my first degree in 1958, I have enjoyed 50 rewarding years of association with Leicester and Leicestershire, as well as with the University of Leicester."

MR JOHN FOSTER, OBE

Mr John Foster, OBE, first became a member of the University of Leicester Council in 1993 and has served on many University committees since that date. He graduated in English from St Catherine's College, Oxford, then took a Diploma in Education and taught for six years at a school in West Bridgford, Nottingham.

Following his period as a teacher, he joined the Leicester company, British United Shoe Machinery Company, first as a trainee manager, then sales representative, marketing executive and ultimately Vice-President of its American parent company, Emhart Corporation. He was responsible for much of Emhart's activities in most of the Commonwealth countries. Having led the team who bought the footwear industry business out from the parent company, he became Chief Executive of the newly independent business. He left the company in 1996 and was awarded the OBE for his services to industry.

In 1997 he became a Pro- Chancellor at the University of Leicester and also Vice-Chair of Council, becoming Chair the following year. He retired from Council in 2007.

During the nine years of his Chairmanship of Council, student numbers rose from around 15,000 to 19,000, and income rose from .£117 million per annum to the region of £185 million. The University recently named its £23m new residential and conference facility in Oadby after him.

Mr Foster commented: "I am deeply honoured that the University of Leicester has chosen to award me an honorary degree. As Chair of the University Council for the last nine years, I have developed a profound respect and admiration for the institution and for all those who contribute so fully to its success. As I depart from the University, I feel confident that its future is secure in the hands of the Vice-Chancellor and his team."

MR TARIQUE GHAFFUR, CBE

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur CBE started his police career with Greater Manchester Police in 1974, earning a Citation of Merit for his work. Promotions to Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector followed.

In 1989 he became Superintendent and transferred to Leicestershire Constabulary. During this period he took part in a three-month FBI exchange. During his time in Leicester, he undertook a major review of the Jamaican Constabulary, examining murders, human rights abuses by police officers and firearms crime. He also conducted a review into Leicestershire Constabulary, resulting in a major re-organisation, and restructuring.

In 1996 Mr Ghaffur moved to Lancashire as Assistant Chief Constable, then Deputy Chief Constable. He moved to the Metropolitan Police Service in September 1999 as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, becoming Borough Commander of the City of Westminster in 2000. Promotion to Assistant Commissioner followed in 2001 and in 2006 he was appointed head of Central Operations.

He sits on the Advisory Board of the Prince's Trust, the Brathay Forum, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Advisory Panel and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

As Assistant Commissioner, Mr Ghaffur has presided over a number of enquiries, including the Damilola Taylor and Victoria Climbie enquiries. He has been responsible for the success of Operation Maxim (organised immigration crime), Operation Payback (proceeds of crime) and Operation Grafton (organised crime around Heathrow, and has built on the successes of Trident (black community gun crime). In 2004 two new programmes were launched: Operation Sterling (serious fraud) and a similar operation to Trident amongst the South Asian communities.

Mr Ghaffur received the Queen's Police Medal in 2001 and a CBE in 2004. He has also received numerous awards in recognition of his services to different communities in London. He is widely published on Criminal Justice, Youth Crime, Diversity and Information Technology and serious and organised crime.

Mr Ghaffur said: "It is an honour and privilege to receive the Honorary Doctorate Degree from such a recognised and highly respected University. Having worked and lived in Leicester, I know only too well the great multicultural credentials and traditions of the city that are shared by the University."