New 'Honorary Graduate' Sir Sean Connery At Edinburgh University

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By Staff

Thursday, July 9, 2009, 16:50

Hundreds of Indian students can now look up to an Oscar winning movie star 'honorary graduate' from their university. Sir Sean Connery received an 'Honorary Doctorate of the University' degree from Edinburgh Napier University, in Scotland's capital city.

Edinburgh Napier University has the highest number of Indian students of any Scottish university and the seventh highest number of Indian students in the United Kingdom. The university has more Indian students than any other nationality.

The Edinburgh-born Scot will collect his honorary degree at a ceremony at the University's Craighouse Campus. Edinburgh Napier University is a friendly, lively, modern university, with campuses conveniently located around Edinburgh – one of the UK's most student-friendly cities.Edinburgh Napier offers over 200 undergraduate and post graduate courses and has around 15,000 students from over 80 countries. Edinburgh Napier was ranked number one for Graduate Employability in Scotland (HESA 2008).

Sean Connery is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winning actor and producer who has acted in over 60 films. In 1987, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. He has also starred in such great films as The Hunt for Red October (1990), Rising Sun (1993), Dragonheart (1996), Finding Forrester (2000) and seven James Bond films. He was knighted by the Queen in July 2000.

In 2000, Sir Sean Connery received a Knighthood from the Queen at a ceremony in the palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, describing it as one of the proudest days of his life.

Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh on the 25 August 1930 to Joe and Effie Connery. His Irish grandfather Tommy made the crossing from Ireland to Scotland in search of work, subsequently moving the Connery family to Edinburgh where he made a living driving a horse and cart collecting old clothes. Sean's Scottish Grandfather, Neil Maclean, was a stonemason who later retired to the countryside in Fife (Scotland), and his holidays which featured cart-horse rides across the fields gave the young city boy a glimpse of what must have seemed like the prairies of the cowboy movies he loved.

Sir Sean Connery is a Patron of the Screen Academy Scotland. This joint venture between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art was set up in 2005 to educate and train film making talent. Its students and alumni are now making impressive in-roads into the world of film. Sir Sean is also Patron of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and has helped foster relationships between the two organisations.

Professor Dame Joan Stringer, Principal & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: "We are delighted to both welcome Sir Sean Connery home to Edinburgh and to award him with an Honorary Doctorate for his immense contribution to acting. He is an inspiration to so many people, but particularly to our students studying with the Screen Academy Scotland who would hope one day to work with such great actors as Sir Sean."

She added: "Sir Sean, I'm told, has a strong following in India and we welcome participation from Indian students in Screen Academy. The academy is designed to help the generation of acting and directing talent and I'm sure that there are budding Sean Connerys in India who can benefit from his involvement."

Sean Connery said: "I am delighted to receive this Honorary Degree from Edinburgh Napier University. It is pleasure to be involved with a university which does so much to help develop the Scottish film industry.

"I would like to congratulate the university on its work in this area and its ongoing commitment to the Screen Academy. I wish them continued success."

In 2008, the Screen Academy launched its ENGAGE initiative, which encourages greater screen industry collaboration between the smaller countries of Europe. It brings together writers, producers and directors over a six month programme with workshops in Dublin, Edinburgh, Tallinn and Helsinki. In 2010, the Academy hopes to welcome participants from India and China to an expanded ENGAGE Plus, cementing its links with film schools in both countries.

Over 600 Indian students are undertaking courses at Edinburgh Napier University. Many of these are studying business-related courses and courses in computing and engineering at the well-respected Scottish university.