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The University of Cambridge has conferred honorary doctorates on eight distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their respective fields, including the former Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.
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According to the university's website, this year’s honorary degrees recognise achievements in the fields of law, politics, medicine, science, the arts, and music.
Merkel was awarded a Doctor of Law in recognition of her leadership and contribution to international relations, marking her historic role as the first female chancellor of a reunited Germany.
Another Doctor of Law recipient, Sue Carr, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, serves as the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, making her the first woman to head the judiciary and preside over the courts in England and Wales.
Philippe Sands, professor of Law at University College London, was also awarded a Doctor of Law for his extensive experience in international, environmental, criminal, and maritime law as an advocate in international courts.
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), also made history as the city's first scientist to be awarded a Doctor of Medical Science degree. "His research is widely recognised for its contributions to the development of non-invasive prenatal testing," the university wrote of the clinical scientist and molecular biologist.
Meanwhile, a Doctor of Science degree was awarded to Fabiola Gianotti, who has been praised for her vision and rigour in particle physics. She is widely known for her inspiring leadership of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during the landmark 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson.
The two recipients of a Doctor of Letters were Richard Eyre, former artistic director of the National Theatre, and Dame Rachel Whiteread, whose "thought-provoking and highly praised work has led to major public works, such as a resin-cast for the empty plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square and the Holocaust Memorial in Vienna".
Furthermore, composer and conductor George Benjamin was awarded a Doctor of Music. He has won numerous awards and is a celebrated figure in the world of contemporary music, having had his compositions performed by orchestras worldwide.
