“You have earned your place here through dedication, resilience, and an unwavering belief in what you can achieve. Many of you have navigated challenges that no previous generation has faced in quite the same way. Yet you are here — stronger, wiser, and ready.”

– Yannis Koursis, Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Hull

Congratulations to the Class of 2025 who took to the stage this January as we celebrated our Winter Graduations 2026. Over three days we celebrated with graduands from across our community, including those who attended courses at the London Study Centre, Honorary Degree in Education recipients, whose studies in Education came prior to the time they were recognised as Degree subjects, and four new Honorary Doctors.

Below, you can see our photo galleries from across the three days, and meet the four new Hon Grads.

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Meet the new Doctors of Letters

Rory Clarke (Executive MBA, 2012) has been employed by J R Rix & Sons Ltd for over 30 years. He earned his MBA at Hull in 2011 and is member of the advisory board of Hull University Business School. He was selected as one of Business Week’s Top 20 Most Inspirational Business Leaders in 2022 in Hull and the East Riding and was the president of the United Kingdom and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association from 2021 to 2023. He recently became a trustee of Hull4Heroes, the armed forces charity, and was appointed Chair of the charity on 1st November 2025.

Lesley Gracie is the master distiller at Hendrick’s Gin and is responsible for creating the original Hendrick’s Gin recipe and for every liquid innovation from Hendrick’s ever since. Born and raised in Hull, Lesley studied chemistry at Hull Technical College. Lesley Gracie has a long history of pushing boundaries with her experiments, her genius lies in her fascination with flavours and how they work together. She visualises flavours as shapes and strikes to create a round, balanced flavour in all of her experimental elixirs.

Yiannis Koursis OBE, FRSA, CMgr, CCIM, FCFE is a nationally recognised leader in Further Education, known for his transformative leadership and deep-rooted commitment to skills, social mobility, and regional economic development. As CEO of The Bedford College Group—one of the UK’s largest further education providers—he has spearheaded ambitious reform and industry-aligned growth, ensuring learners are equipped with the skills employers need today and tomorrow. A firm believer in the power of collaboration and respected across political divides, Yiannis brings a clear and unapologetic voice to the national stage on the role of FE in tackling social mobility issues, skills gaps and powering Britain’s future economy.

Lee Radford is a former Hull FC coach who guided the team to their first Wembley win in 2016 and Challenge Cup triumph in 2017. Lee was recently appointed Scotland defence coach. He enjoyed a highly successful playing career with Hull FC and the Bradford Bulls, earning multiple Super League titles, Challenge Cup victories, over 300 senior appearances, and international honours for England. After retiring, Lee moved into coaching, leading Hull FC to back-to-back Challenge Cup triumphs as head coach, before taking roles with Castleford Tigers, the Dallas Jackals, and Samoa Rugby League. In the year 2023/24, Lee switched codes to join Northampton Saints as defence coach, helping the club win the Premiership in his first season with them. Lee was also appointed Defence Coach for the Scotland Rugby Union national team in October 2025.

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Photographs from Day 1 – Tuesday 13 January

Photographs from Day 2 – Wednesday 14 January

Photographs from Day 3 – Thursday 15 January