Celebrations for the University of Chester’s graduating class of 2025

Soon-to-be-graduates will celebrate their achievements during 12 ceremonies taking place from Tuesday, November 4 to Friday, November 7. The class of 2025 will be joined by their family, friends and lecturers to mark their success. 

The graduation week celebrations will also include the installation of Dame Jenny Harries DBE DL as the new Chancellor of the University. She will take over the role from Dr Gyles Brandreth who leaves the role he has held since 2017. Dr Brandreth will still retain close links with the University in a new role of Chancellor Emeritus. Chancellors can advise universities objectively, in the capacity of a 'critical friend, drawing on their own professional experience.' Chancellors are usually also chosen for their association with an institution, its work and its surrounding communities and have often held public office.   

The soon-to-be-graduates and their guests will also be joined by two honorary guests who will receive degree awards in recognition of their considerable impact in the fields of medicine and law. 

Dr Waheed Arian will receive a Doctor of Science (DSc) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to medicine and humanitarian work and Jacqueline Devonish, HM Senior Coroner for the county of Cheshire will receive a Doctor of Laws (DLaws) in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the county of Cheshire, in particular for her work as Senior Coroner. 

Professor Eunice Simmons, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chester said: “We are proud to honour the remarkable achievements of our graduates, celebrating this milestone with their families and loved ones. As they embark on the next chapter of their professional lives, we applaud their dedication and wish them continued success in all their future pursuits. 

“We are also delighted to see Dame Jenny Harries DBE DL officially installed as Chancellor for the University of Chester and are delighted to welcome her to our community. 

“It is also an honour to recognise our honorary guests, Dr Waheed Arian and Jacqueline Devonish, HM Senior Coroner for the county of Cheshire for their incredible achievements and the impact they have made in our region and beyond.” 

• Attending a university graduation in a busy city calls for careful planning to ensure a smooth and enjoyable day. Attendees are advised to check travel routes in advance, allowing extra time for delays or diversions, especially if using public transport. Arriving early helps avoid last-minute stress and gives time to navigate any entry procedures or crowd management systems in place. Attendees are advised to stay aware of their surroundings, keep personal belongings secure and follow any instructions from event staff or signage. Being prepared and alert helps guests to focus on celebrating this special occasion safely and confidently and Security teams on site will be glad to help.

Dr Waheed Arian 

Dr Waheed Arian was born into Afghanistan conflict and went on to study at Cambridge and Harvard universities. He is now an emergency doctor in the UK National Health Service (NHS), author of best-selling memoir In The Wars and founder of the pioneering telemedicine charity Arian Teleheal, which works directly with clinicians on the ground in low-resource and war-torn countries.  

He is the CEO of Arian Wellbeing, an innovative digital mental health initiative that provides culturally and language appropriate comprehensive mental health support to organisational staff and communities, including hard to reach diverse communities, in the UK and globally, in partnership with government, healthcare, non-profit and for-profit organisations. 

As an adviser, he helps governments and global organisations such as the UN, WHO and others with the development of their healthcare and education systems that can address inequalities. Dr Arian is an NHS Innovation Mentor and was appointed in 2019 to the WHO Roster of Digital Health Experts. He is recognised as a UNESCO Global Hope Hero and a UN Global Goals Goalkeeper for promoting Sustainable Development Goals. He has been a signatory to the WHO First World Report on Health of Refugees and Migrants. 

Dr Arian was named UK Doctor of the Year in 2021 and chosen by The Times as a Person of the Year. In 2022 he was given The World Citizen Award from Turkish Radio and Television. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2023 and was awarded Honorary Fellowship by Cambridge University in 2024 for his pioneering services in medicine. 

Dr Arian said: “I am so humbled to have been awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Chester. I grew up in a war-torn country and spent my childhood dreaming of getting an education while hiding from bombs and surviving life-threatening diseases. What kept me believing was the power of hope that one day I would step into a classroom to learn how to serve vulnerable people. Hope and the kindness of strangers allowed me to find refuge in the UK, enabling me to get an education to pursue my dream. 

“Since becoming a physician and humanitarian, giving hope to others in need has shaped the purpose of my life. This honorary degree will significantly support me in inspiring many others. I am so thrilled and privileged to be associated with the University of Chester, its staff and students in this mission.” 

Jacqueline Devonish, HM Senior Coroner for the county of Cheshire 

Jacqueline took her role as Senior Coroner for Cheshire in 2022. Jacqueline’s previous role was Her Majesty’s Area Coroner for Suffolk and she has had a long and varied career in the judiciary. 

After studying a business studies degree, she converted to law and studied at the College of Law, Chester. 

Her legal career began in 1991 and she went into practice as a general civil litigator, family and conveyancing solicitor. In 1994, she became a managing partner for a law firm based in London where she established and ran a litigation department. 

She was appointed as a Solicitor Member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in 2006, which she chaired for 14 years, and during this period she began to consider and explore the idea of becoming a coroner after being recommended by a colleague. 

Between 2006 and 2020, Jacqueline practised as a criminal law prosecution advocate in fraud for a government agency. 

She was appointed to her first assistant coroner position based in London in 2011, later becoming Area Coroner in Suffolk, and is a member of the United Kingdom Association of Women Judges. 

In Suffolk, Jacqueline supported the delivery of the public sector duty under the Equalities Act by implementation of the Race Equality Action Plan. She has delivered presentations on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and given inspirational talks to managers and law firms on self-development and progression. 

Her Suffolk team received an award from the High Sherriff for 'outstanding service to the community of Suffolk’ during the Covid-19 pandemic, working throughout the pandemic and clearing a record number of inquests. 

Jacqueline is involved in training coroner service stakeholders, including the NHS, GPs, Police, Ambulance Service, Registration Service and others, and expects to offer this to stakeholders in the Cheshire jurisdiction. 

She also carries out a range of charitable work for The Law Society of England and Wales, The Worshipful Company of Barbers Livery Company in the City of London, and the Barbados High Commission in London. 

Coroners are judicial office holders who are independently appointed and are responsible for investigating deaths to find out how, when and where they occurred. Coroners will investigate a death if it was unnatural or suspicious, the cause of death is unknown or if the person died in any form of state detention, such as a prison or police custody. 

Jacqueline Devonish said: “Today is special for me as it is a reminder that life can take us further than we dare to dream; measure your success not only by how high you climb and what you know, but by how many people you lift up along the way.”