Peacemakers and politicians, artists and academics are among the outstanding individuals who will receive honorary degrees from the University of Ulster in 2009.
 
Leader of the National League for Burma and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi will be awarded the honorary degree of  Doctor of Laws (LLD) in absentia due to her continuing detention by the military dictatorship in Burma.
 
The pro-democracy activist has led a peaceful and non-violent resistance against the Burmese dictatorship for over 20 years and won the right to be prime minister in the 1990 election despite being put under house arrest.
 
She continues her fight for democracy and freedom for the people of Burma despite her imprisonment by the Burmese authorities.
 
The full list of honorary graduates for 2009 includes:
 
Adrian Dunbar, for services to acting:

An acclaimed actor, Adrian has starred in leading films such as My Left Foot, The Crying Game and The General. Perhaps better known for his television roles, the Fermanagh-born actor has appeared in Cracker, Inspector Morse and Murphy’s Law to name but a few. He is also much praised for his extensive theatre work, most recently starred in and co-directed Brendan at the Chelsea, playing the Irish playwright Brendan Behan. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).
 
Fr Brian D’Arcy, for services to the promotion of religious understanding:
 
Catholic Priest, Father Brian D’Arcy is a well-known broadcaster, newspaper columnist and novelist. Originally from County Fermanagh, he was ordained in 1969 and became the unofficial chaplain to the entertainment community. He has worked tirelessly to promote religious understanding throughout Ireland and has a popular public profile through his regular TV and radio appearances. He currently hosts his own music programme on BBC Radio Ulster and recently published his best-selling memoirs ‘A Different Journey’. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).
 
Clare Short, for services to international development:
 
Clare Short is an independent MP for Birmingham Ladywood. A member of the Labour Party for most of her political career, she resigned in 2006 over then Prime Minister Tony Blair’s policies on Iraq. She became the first ever cabinet-level Secretary of State for International Development  in May 1997 until May 2003. She is to receive the degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD).

Daniel Libeskind, for services to global architecture and design:

Daniel Libeskind is one of the world’s leading architects. He is master planner for the Ground Zero site in Manhattan and creator of the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Born in Poland in 1946, he became an American citizen in 1965, and is currently based in New York. His design remit extends from building major cultural and commercial institutions to opera sets. Mr Libeskind launched the University’s Real Estate Initiative in 2008. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Fine Art (DFA).
 
Eamon McCartan, for services to sport and community relations in Northern Ireland:
 
Eamon McCartan is the Chief Executive of Sport NI, a position he has held since 1994. He has worked tirelessly to promote the role of sport in the community and has been a member of the Community Relations Council since 1995 – taking up position of Chair in 2002. He has lectured in Business Studies at several universities and is currently a visiting professor at the University of Ulster. He is to receive the degree of  Doctor of the University (DUniv.).

Harvey McGrath, for services to international financial services and support for inclusive education:
 
Harvey McGrath is Chairman of the influential business campaign group, London First. He is also the Vice Chair of the Mayor of London's Skills and Employment Board. Harvey is an active philanthropist supporting a range of causes around deprivation, education, and divided communities.  He is Chairman of the East London Business Alliance, a partnership engaged in the social and economic regeneration of East London.  He is also a founding donor and trustee of New Philanthropy Capital, a research based charity which gives advice to donors. He is to receive the degree of  Doctor of the University (DUniv.).
 
 
John McGinnis, for services to the construction industry and to the University:

John McGinnis, OBE, is founder of one of the most prominent firms in property development and construction in Northern Ireland. Founded in 1978, the McGinnis Group has been pivotal in accelerating the region’s economic and cultural growth. As part of Derry Boston Ventures, John McGinnis has travelled extensively throughout the USA to promote Northern Ireland, securing major trade and investment for the area. He is one of the founding members of the University’s Real Estate Initiative and a Director of the University of Ulster Foundation. He is to receive the degree of  Doctor of the University (DUniv.).
 

John Montague, for services to poetry:
 
John Montague is one of Ireland’s best known contemporary poets. Born in New York in 1929, he was brought up on a farm in Fintona by his grandparents from the age of four. He has published a number of volumes of poetry, two collections of short stories and two volumes of memoirs. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).
 
Jon Snow, for services to journalism:
 
Jon Snow is a veteran journalist and presenter, perhaps best known for fronting Channel 4 News. He joined ITN in 1976 after a brief stint with LBC radio, and rose through the ranks to become Washington correspondent from 1983-1986 and diplomatic editor from 1986-1989, before becoming the main presenter of Channel 4 News in 1989. He returned to radio in 2002, presenting Jon Snow Reports on Oneword Radio and writes regular articles for the Channel 4 website. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).
 

Kate O’Hanlon, for services to nursing:
 
Kate O'Hanlon (MBE) was born in the Markets area of Belfast. She worked in business for fourteen years before training to become a nurse. She worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1966-1988, and was sister-in-charge of the casualty department for sixteen years, during the height of the Troubles. Kate was chairman of the Royal College of Nursing's A&E Forum for nine years and secretary for three. She has travelled the world, attending conferences to talk about her experiences, and formed part of a UN delegation that visited Gaza and the West Bank to assess the emergency facilities available to the Palestinian victims of the Intafada. She is a Dame of the Order of Malta. She is to receive the degree of  Doctor of Science (DSc.).


Niall Kirkwood, for services to landscape architecture and building links between the University and Harvard:

Niall Kirkwood is Professor of Landscape Architecture and Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he has taught since 1992. In July 2003, he assumed the Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture, the oldest such program in North America. Prior to joining the Harvard he worked in private practice and has led development projects in Europe, the Middle East, and the US. He is currently a visiting professor at the University and has worked closely with its Real Estate Initiative since its launch in 2008. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Science (DSc.).
 
Orla Guerin, for servics to journalism:

Dublin-born Orla Guerin became the BBC Africa Correspondent in January 2006. She is based in Johannesburg. Previously, she was Middle East Correspondent, reporting from the BBC's bureau in the Middle East from December 2000.
 
A graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology, she has reported extensively on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and covered the Iraq crisis.
 
Prior to joining the BBC, Orla worked as a reporter, presenter and foreign correspondent for Ireland's RTE News. While with RTE she travelled widely, covering Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and the siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.
 
In 2004, she was awarded an MBE (Hons) for services to broadcasting. She  is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).

 
Paul Brady, for services to traditional music and song writing:
 
Paul Brady, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is one of Ireland's most enduringly popular artists. The Strabane-born artist starting performing at the age of 16 and was a member of several rhythm and blues bands before recording an album of traditional Irish music in 1976. He went on to record several other albums in genres spanning rock, pop and Irish, while also enjoying considerable success as a song writer. Brady has penned songs for artists such as Tina Turner, Garth Brooks and Santana. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt.).
 
Terence Flanagan for services to art:

Terence Flanagan is one of Ireland’s best-known landscape painters. Born in Enniskillen, he began his artistic career as a student at Belfast College of Art in 1949 and worked in art education until his retirement in 1983. His work is represented in numerous public, private and corporate collections including the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin and the Ulster Museum, Belfast. He is to receive the degree of Doctor of Fine Art (DFA).
 
Tim O’Connor, for services to community building across the public, private and academic sectors:
 
Tim O’Connor is an outstanding diplomat, highly regarded for his commitment to community building initiatives. He has held several prestigious posts in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and served as Joint Secretary to the North-South Ministerial Council from 1999 – 2005. He also served as Consul General of Ireland in New York before taking up his current post as Secretary General to the President of Ireland. He is to receive the degree of  Doctor of Laws (LLD).


William Wright, for services to manufacturing:

Entrepreneur William Wright is Chairman of the UK’s largest independent coachbuilder, Wrightbus. Founded by his father Robert, in 1946, the Ballymena based firm has gone from strength to strength, pioneering new technologies such as the low-floor and hybrid electric buses. A former Ballymena councillor, Mr Wright continues to work closely with bus operators across the UK and Ireland and works with many legislative bodies helping them identify transport requirement. He is to receive the degree of  Doctor of Science (DSc.).