Honorary degrees are vanity projectsIn some cases celebrities have been given… Analysis by The Sunday Times found more than 1,400 honorary degrees have been handed out by the 50 lowest-ranking British universities since 2011 — with scores of celebrities benefiting. It’s not a Big Brother producer’s wishlist, but a roll call of honorary doctors, degree holders and fellows, thanks to the UK’s lower-ranked universities. The universities argue their celebrity fellows and doctors provide the perfect role models to attract students, but education campaigners have accused of them turning degrees into “publicity stunts”. Retired footballers, pop singers, Strictly Come Dancing contestants, soap actors and jockeys.

Source: The Times July 23, 2016 22:52 UTC