The class of 2025 get set to graduate

01 July 2025

Tuesday 8 July marks the start of a bumper week of celebrations, as Southampton Solent University’s class of 2025 graduates in the institution’s 20th anniversary year. 

Across eight ceremonies, graduates from a variety of courses and fields – from engineering and sport to nursing and fine art – will be joined by friends and family as they bid farewell to Solent University.  

The culmination of three years of hard work, in which these graduates benefitted from a TEF Gold practice-led approach to learning and teaching, Solent’s graduation ceremonies will welcome 2,000 graduands to the heart of Southampton’s city centre. 

Taking place in the city’s biggest events venue, the O2 Guildhall Southampton, Solent’s graduation week brings together the next generation of professionals across a range of industries. This year’s graduation ceremonies will be presided over by Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Governors, Richard Smith and Vice-Chair of the Board, Don Iro. 

Solent's Vice-Chancellor, Professor James Knowles, will present the ceremonies. He says: 

“This year’s graduation week marks two special occasions. The first is, of course, the successes of our extraordinary graduates, who will now go on to forge meaningful careers in their chosen fields. The second is the 20th anniversary of Solent being awarded university status, and our 2025 graduates now join a global community of around 70,000 alumni.  

“I am proud that our students become sought-after professionals thanks to a combination of their hard work and Solent’s focus on real-world learning. Congratulations to our class of 2025 – we all look forward to following your journey beyond university.”  

Alongside undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD and students of Warsash Maritime School graduating, individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to their field will be awarded honorary degrees. The 2025 recipients are: 

• Daniel Crow, Director of ‘a space’ arts, will receive an Honorary Fellowship 

• Jonathan ‘Dines’ Wilkins, creative director, digital artist and Co-founder of Studio Blup, will be awarded an Honorary Fellowship 

• Philip Cotton, former Chair of the Board of Governors at Solent University, will become an honorary Doctor of the University 

• Dr Debbie Chase, Director of Public Health at Southampton City Council, will be recognised with an honorary fellowship 

• Dr John Flackett, Co-founder and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, is becoming an honorary Doctor of Science 

• Susan Roaf, a solar energy pioneer, author, scholar and Emeritus Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt University, will receive an honorary Doctor of Engineering 

• Lady Edwina Grosvenor, a criminologist and justice system reformer, will become an honorary Doctor of Law 

• Kerry Kyriacos Michael MBE, a theatre director and campaigner, will receive an Honorary Fellowship 

With a population of around 10,000 staff and students, Southampton Solent University offers over 200 qualifications, from HNDs to PhDs, in areas including business, sport, technology, and the creative industries, and is home to Warash Maritime School, the only training centre of its kind in the world. Every year we are joined by around 10,000 additional students on short professional courses.

In 2025, Southampton University is celebrating 20 years since it first received university status, in 2005.

We work closely with businesses to develop courses, and to deliver apprenticeships, professional development and training tailored to industry needs - ensuring our graduates are precisely what employers are looking for; highly skilled, highly motivated professionals who are ready to jump straight in.

Southampton Solent University is home to seven departments, boasting a wide variety of expertise, from an Agatha Christie specialist and world-renowned maritime team, to an LGBTQI+ in sport expert. Require insight for a story you are working on? The University’s Expert Directory is home to more than 50 media-ready academics who are available to answer your question.

Southampton Solent University is:

• The recipient of three Gold ratings in the new Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), recognising that our student experience and student outcomes are typically outstanding.
• A member of a new £21.3m national research partnership focussed on decarbonising the UK maritime sector.
• Joint first in the category of carbon reduction in the 2024/25 People & Planet University League.
• 11th in the sector for graduate start-ups (HESA 2022)
• Achieved Race Equality Charter Bronze Award (AdvanceHE 2022)
• A recipient of over £1m to help the Government develop new Higher Technical Education qualifications.
• Awarded £4.3m by the Office for Students to create, expand and modernise courses and facilities in healthcare and STEM subject areas.
• Partnered with former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening to deliver a new ‘levelling up framework’ - widening HE access to those from under-represented communities.
• Lead university partner for the South Coast Institute for Technology - delivering higher technical training in science, technology, engineering, and maths.
• A University of Sanctuary, fostering a welcome and inclusive culture for asylum seekers and refugees.
• Accepted onto the University Mental Health Charter Programme for 2022/23 - universities committed to making mental health a university-wide priority to share practice and create cultural change.
• Awarded the Silver Engage Watermark in recognition of our outstanding commitment to supporting public engagement.
• In the top 20% nationally across several subject areas for teaching quality in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
• Fifth for law out of 108 institutions nationally in the 2025 Guardian University Guide.
• £100m investment in our campus and state-of-the-art facilities.