Over 9,000 graduating students are newly-joined members of your alumni community, following this summer's graduation ceremonies at the end of July. Whether you crossed the stage one year ago or 50, there is no denying it is one of those moments which becomes indelibly marked in your memory.

As part of our graduation programme, we invite back selected alumni to share their own stories with graduands in the hall; asking them to write and deliver a speech to provide reassurance and inspiration that a degree from Nottingham will set you in great stead for your future career.

Here's a snapshot of this year's graduation, with insight from some of this summer's speakers. 

Summer 2026 2 Summer 2026 4 Summer 2026 1 Summer 2026 3

Graduation is the culmination of three (or more) years' hard work at Nottingham, the moment of transition from student to graduate, and the beginning of the next stage of life. It's also a huge organisational undertaking at the university to ensure every graduating student has the best possible experience, consistently in every ceremony.

A key element of each ceremony in recent years has been the inclusion of an alumni speaker – chosen especially for their relevance to the school or department being conferred. We invite our speakers to share their career journey on stage in front of around 2,000 guests, providing a tangible link to the alumni community, as well as demonstrating how a degree from Nottingham and the associated skills really do set you up for a successful life.

It's an element of graduation which we know students find particularly illuminating and one which is always well received, based on the feedback they provide.

Graduation is the perfect moment to welcome our new cohort into the alumni community and our speakers play an integral role in doing so. The energy they can bring to the hall by sharing their journey and demonstrating what is possible with a Nottingham degree is the ideal way to inspire those listening to follow in their footsteps and become an active part of the community.
Rachael Green, Head of Alumni Engagement

Thank you to our summer graduation alumni speakers:

  • Tobi Ruth Adebekun (French and International Media Communications, 2014)
  • Grace Andrews (History, 2018)
  • James Digva (Food Sciences, 2017)
  • Jonathan Dowell (Medicine, 1987)
  • Darren Hardman (Economics and Econometrics, 1998)
  • Isabella Hargreaves (English 2020; Marketing 2022)
  • Matthew Kempa (Computer Science, 2018)
  • Rhiannon Kilgariff (Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, 2018)
  • Kathryn McCarney (Electronic and Computer Engineering, 2018)
  • Dr Daniel McDonald-Smith (Medicine, 2023)
  • Andrew McNaughton (Civil Engineering, 1985)
  • Warren Tucker (Physics, 1998)
  • Benedict Walton-McBain (Economics, 2026)
  • Alex Yee (Biochemistry, 2019)
Being back in Nottingham is such a warming experience and I have so many fond memories. I haven't really been back here properly since graduation, which was 28 years ago. But what struck me is that the feel of the place is exactly the same.
Warren Tucker

Interested in speaking at graduation?

We're always looking for alumni with a passion for inspiring our students and who want to share their journey with others.

If you would like to find out more about our graduation speaker programme, email our Head of Alumni Engagement, Rachael Green.