Universities run up £100,000 bill on honorary degrees for celebrities

SCOTTISH universities have spent tens of thousands of pounds handing out honorary degrees, including academic awards to celebrities such as US filmmaker Oliver Stone and Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench.

A Freedom of Information request from Scotland on Sunday revealed that more than 100,000 was spent on ensuring honorary degrees were presented to prominent figures including tycoon Donald Trump, who is building a controversial golf and hotel resort in Aberdeenshire.

The bulk of the costs run up by universities during the past three years went on travel, accommodation and hospitality for those awarded degrees.

Scotland's biggest spender on honorary degrees was the University of St Andrews, which spent more than 60,000 including expenses for air fares and hotel accommodation.

The university spent more than 30,000 in 2009 alone, when the recipients of honorary degrees included Scottish Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy.

More than 18,000 was spent on honorary academic awards by St Andrews during 2008 when degrees were handed to actress Dame Judi Dench, former Have I Got News For You presenter Angus Deayton and leading Scottish lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy.

Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University spent nearly 20,000 on costs associated with honorary degrees between 2007 and 2010, which included an award to Trump, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and singer Barbara Dickson.

The Glasgow-based Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama spent nearly 3,000 on honorary degrees during 2008-09 and 2009-10, with awards going to legendary British actor Lord Richard Attenborough and Oliver Stone, director of hit movies such as JFK and Platoon.

Other celebrities honoured included singer Eddi Reader, who received an award from the University of Stirling. The university spent around 5,000 on costs associated with honorary academic awards between 2008 and 2010, with degrees also going to former First Minister Jack McConnell.

Dundee University spent more than 14,000 between 2008 and 2010 on honorary degrees, and Queen Margaret University spent more than 4,500 in the same period.

Strathclyde University spent 4,100 over the past three years, with Scottish author Andrew O'Hagan among those receiving an award. Glasgow Caledonian University spent 1,500 during 2009 and 2010.

Liberal Democrat MSP Margaret Smith said: "In straitened financial times, students will be disappointed to see their universities spending so much on honorary degrees rather than resources for learning."I call on them to look seriously at cutting senior staff pay, hospitality and the costs of honorary degrees before they look elsewhere for more funding."

A spokesman for the University of St Andrews said: "Many of the people on whom we bestow honorary degrees have to travel a great distance to be with us in St Andrews."

A spokesman for Robert Gordon University said the honorary degrees are "often part of a longer-term relationship" with the recipient that can "benefit" the institution.

A spokeswoman from Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University said: "We believe that it is entirely appropriate to honour and mark the contribution which these individuals have made and that it significantly enhances the experience of this important occasion for students and their families."