The University of Glasgow will award honorary degrees to the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow.

HRH Prince Tunku Imran and General Kamalesh Sharma will be presented with their honorary degrees in a ceremony at the University’s annual Commemoration Day on 18 June 2014.Commonwealth Secretary General Kamlesh Sharma

HRH Prince Tunku Imran is the current President of the Commonwealth Games Federation as well as the Chairman of the Olympic Council of Malaysia. He will be awarded an honorary degree in recognition of his work as head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, and their efforts in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow.

General Kamalesh Sharma is Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations and a former Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He will be awarded an honorary degree in recognition of his work within the Commonwealth of Nations in Commonwealth Games year.HRH Prince Tunku Imran

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “Next year’s Commonwealth Games promise to be a landmark occasion for Scotland and I am pleased to be able to announce that we will be awarding honorary degrees to two figures who have both played an important role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow.”

HRH Prince Tunku Imran, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “I will be delighted and honoured to accept this honorary degree from the University of Glasgow. It is wonderful recognition from one of Glasgow’s foremost cultural institutions as the city continues to prepare for next year’s Commonwealth Games.”

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma said: “The University of Glasgow is among the great universities of the world and does me a great honour in awarding me an honorary degree. The City of Glasgow and the people of Scotland are currently preparing to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and since this award comes during my tenure as Commonwealth Secretary-General I am delighted that we shall now share an enduring and personal link through this academic honour.

My pleasure in accepting the degree is deepened by an awareness of the close and historic links that exist between Glasgow and the City of Belfast, across the water, where I have the honour to serve as Chancellor of Queen’s University.

I look forward to returning to Glasgow both for the conferring of the degree, and for that great spectacle of sporting prowess and global friendship: the Commonwealth Games.”

For more information please contact the University of Glasgow’s Media Relations Office at media@glasgow.ac.uk or 01413303535.

First published: 9 October 2013

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