Gender equality advocate awarded honorary degree for services to higher education
Professor Dame Janet Beer awarded honorary doctorate for promotion of gender equality within the sector
Prominent gender equality advocate Professor Dame Janet Beer has been awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of her contribution to higher education and her promotion of gender equality within the sector.
Dame Janet received the award at a graduation ceremony at the Bridgewater Hall and was presented with the honorary Doctor of Education (DEd).
Dame Janet is Chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance; a Member of the Board of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle; an Independent Governor of Northumbria University; a Trustee of the Imperial War Museum; a member of the Education Honours Committee; and Trustee of the Royal Anniversary Trust. She is also Patron of the Mark Evison Foundation which exists to provide opportunities for young people to undertake personally designed challenges.
Earlier in her career she held senior roles at Manchester Metropolitan University, including Professor and Head of English, and then Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor and Dean of Humanities, Law and Social Science.
She was President of Universities UK between 2017 and2019 and was awarded a damehood in the New Year’s Honours List in 2018 for services to higher education and equality and diversity.
Speaking at the ceremony, she said: “I know that Manchester Metropolitan University changes lives – it changed mine. I came here as the founding head of the Department of English and this appointment allowed me to understand what my strengths are. I have been able to take and deploy that discovery throughout the rest of my career.
“At the beginning of my leadership journey when I came here to work for Dame Sandra Burslem, a previous Vice-Chancellor of the University, she sent me on a women development programme, a life-changing experience. I have since enabled at least a dozen of my women colleagues and mentees over the years to also do this programme.
“I believe in giving to others the opportunities that you have been given. Generosity of spirit is good for everyone, especially you, and it will assist with another of the principles that I learnt from her – build a strong team, trust them and dedication, success and loyalty will follow.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press CBE DL, spoke at the graduation: “Throughout her career, Janet has exemplified a style of leadership defined not by personal prominence, but by enabling others to succeed. She has championed talent wherever she has found it, encouraged creativity, opened doors for future generations and strengthened every institution she has served.”