BRADFORD University has awarded honorary diplomas to journalists, a top physicist and a campaigner against domestic violence on the final day of their summer graduations.

As well as hundreds of students, yesterday's ceremonies saw honorary degrees given to Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE, author of several science books and presenter of television documentaries, who was named Doctor of Science and Orla Guerin, an international correspondent for the BBC famous for her coverage of the Kosovo conflict, who was named Doctor of the University for her contribution to journalism.

Alex Brummer, one of the UK's top financial journalists, City editor at the Daily Mail and author was also named Doctor of the University, as was Dean Royles, chief executive for NHS employers and a prominent voice in the call for an end to domestic violence.

Mrs Guerin was the BBC correspondent for southern Europe during the Kosovo conflict, and was kicked out of the regional capital, Pristina, by Serb forces. This did not stop her, as she continued to report on the crisis from Macedonia, letting the world know about the struggles faced by thousands of refugees forced to flee the area. After getting her degree she said: "It is really lovely to be recognised in this way by University of Bradford. It has a very different kind of feeling to some of the other universities, its got a wonderfully diverse group of students, you could sense a huge comradery among those who are graduating and I think it’s a university that is really making its mark and has huge global ambitions.”