Award-winning actors among leaders in their field to receive honorary degrees from Durham University

Acclaimed actors Mark Gatiss and Gina McKee are among the leading figures in the arts, broadcasting, law and science who will receive honorary degrees from Durham University this summer.  

Mark Gatiss, from Sedgefield in County Durham, is best known as a founding member of the comedy programme The League of Gentlemen and as co-creator of the award-winning BBC series Sherlock, in which he played Mycroft Holmes.  

BAFTA-winning actor Gina McKee, from Peterlee in County Durham, starred in hit films including Notting Hill and Atonement, along with many award-winning television and theatre productions.   

Other notable figures to receive honorary degrees from Durham University this July are pioneering broadcasters David Shukman and Lorraine Heggessey, charity campaigner Becky Rogerson, and leading international law experts Dato’ Faiz Azmi and Dapo Akande.  

They will each receive their honours during Durham University’s summer Congregation ceremonies held at Durham Cathedral between July 2 and 9, 2025.  

They will join thousands of graduating students across six days of celebrations.  

Durham University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O’Brien, said: “It is a privilege to welcome this year’s honorary graduates.  

“They are exceptional individuals whose achievements have had a profound impact in their fields and beyond.  

“They reflect the values we hold dear as a University: excellence, creativity, integrity and making a positive difference in the world. 

“As our students graduate and begin the next chapter of their journeys, they can look to these distinguished figures as role models and draw encouragement from the diverse paths they have forged.”  

Mark Gatiss will be made a Doctor of Letters. He is an actor, screenwriter, director and producer who has enjoyed a glittering television and stage career. Mark’s writing/performance credits include Doctor Who, Dracula, Mission Impossible 7 and 8, Game of Thrones and Wolf Hall. Mark has won countless awards, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards.    

Gina McKee will be made a Doctor of Letters. She is a highly regarded actress with an impressive resume of stage, television, and film credits. She received BAFTA nominations for the television dramas The Street and The Lost Prince and won a BAFTA TV Award in 1997 for the BBC TV Series Our Friends in the North. Recent theatre appearances include Dear England at the National Theatre and The Years at The Almeida and Pinter Theatres. Gina was nominated for an Olivier Award in both.  

David Shukman will be made a Doctor of Science. Since graduating from Durham University with a Geography degree, David has enjoyed a stellar journalistic career culminating in his appointment as the BBC’s first science editor. His award-winning work, spanning four decades, involved reporting for television, radio and online from more than 100 countries. His broadcasts led Sir David Attenborough to praise him as a leader in raising awareness of climate change.  

Lorraine Heggessey will be made a Doctor of Letters. After earning a BA in English Literature from Durham University, she began a career in journalism, eventually becoming the first woman to be Controller of BBC One in 2000. Under her leadership, the channel became the most popular in Britain. She then took the helm at the production company talkbackThames and more recently worked as the Chief Executive of The Royal Foundation until 2019.   

Becky Rogerson will be made a Doctor of Science. Becky became the Chief Executive of My Sister’s Place, a domestic abuse charity in Middlesbrough, in 2002, then led Wearside Women in Need from 2018. Both organisations thrived under her leadership, growing considerably and expanding their programming while gaining national attention. Her contributions to Durham University’s Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse have been enormous.    

Dato’ Faiz Azmi will be made a Doctor of Civil Law. Dato is the Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia. He read law at Durham University, became a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn, an accountant in Touché Ross London and PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia. His roles and work included acting as auditor to major banking and conglomerate groups in Malaysia, an advisor on market deals and regulations, plus work for an airline and several government entities.  

Dapo Akande will be made a Doctor of Civil Law. He is a world-renowned academic and lawyer specialising in international law. He completed a lectureship in Law at Durham University from 2000-2004 and is now the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford. Dapo has undertaken advisory work for governments and legal organisations globally and is a member of the United Nations International Law Commission.