On the annual ceremony to celebrate the benefactors, held by the university, Oxford University awarded Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla and seven other with an honorary degree.
The ceremony is called the Encaenia, and it happens on the Wednesday of the ninth week during the Trinity Term. It’s an annual ceremony at which the Oxford University awards outstanding women and men and admires its benefactors.
In 1966 Dr. Poonawalla founded The Serum Institute in India, and since then it has been serving the community by manufacturing life-saving vaccines. With the production of more than 1.5 billion doses a year, the Institute is said to be one of the largest suppliers of vaccines in the world.
Dr. Poonawalla led the Institute with his vision and made it be the unmatched figure of protecting more than 2/3 of the infant populations all over the world. Not to mention that Dr. Poonawalla is also a generous philanthropist who focuses on public causes and social issues.
Oxford University made it clear to let the public know about Dr. Poonawalla’s accomplishments and characteristics. At least that’s what it says on their website on Dr. Poonawalla’s statement.
And if you’re thinking about other awardees, side by side Dr. Poonawalla, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, a singer from Pakistan was awarded the honorary degree.
And while we’re at it, we’ll list down other awardees as well:
- Sir Simon Wessely, Regius Professor of Psychiatry (King’s College, London).
- Professor Daniel Kahneman, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs (Princeton University).
- Mr Yo-Yo Ma, celebrated cellist.
- Professor Shafi Goldwasser, Computer scientist, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
- Professor Andrea Ghez, Astronomer, Professor of Physics and Astronomy (University of California).
- Professor Jennifer A. Doudna, Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology (University of California, Berkeley).
