Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla is one of five distinguished honorands to
receive an Honorary Degree from the University of London. Professor Sir Hilary
Beckles, Sir Terry Waite, Susannah Schofield MBE and The Reverend Philip Goff
are also being honoured.
Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla is Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, a
century-old leading Indian multinational and the first Indian business house to
venture overseas. Today, it spans 41 countries across six continents, with
revenues of ~$67 billion and a market capitalisation exceeding $110 billion.
A sixth-generation scion of the storied Birla family, his
great-grandfather, G.D. Birla, was a confidant of Mahatma Gandhi and played a
vital role in India’s freedom movement. A passionate champion of education, Mr.
Birla serves as Chancellor of BITS Pilani and has chaired IIM Ahmedabad and IIT
Delhi. He is also a Governing Board member at London Business School, where he
endowed a £15 million scholarship, among the largest in Europe.
Mr Birla becomes Doctor of Science (Economics).
The awards were presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal,
Chancellor of the University of London, during the University’s Foundation Day
celebrations held at Senate House, London on Wednesday 19 November.
Receiving honorary degrees and fellowships at Foundation Day were:
·
Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the
Aditya Birla Group – Doctor of Science (Economics).
·
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Professor of
Economic History and Vice-Chancellor at the University of the West Indies -
Doctor of Science (Social Sciences).
·
Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE, an Honorary Fellow
of Trinity Hall Cambridge and the patron of many charities working for
humanitarian causes – Doctor of Science (Social Sciences).
·
Mrs Susannah Schofield MBE, who established up
the John Schofield Trust in memory of her husband, a journalist killed in
action in Croatia - Doctor of Literature.
·
The Reverend Philip Goff, expert on academic
dress - Honorary Fellowship.
Kavita Reddi, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the
University of London, said: "We are delighted to honour Mr Birla with an
Honorary Degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to industry and
philanthropy. His social initiatives have improved millions of lives, and his
commitment to widening access to quality education, both in India and here in
the UK, reflects the University of London's core values - a passion for helping
others, recognising the value of education and a desire to unite, rather than
divide.
“Each of our distinguished honorands share these
values and have made remarkable achievements in their varied and respective
fields. It is a privilege to recognise them all as part of our Foundation Day
celebrations."
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “I am deeply humbled to receive this distinction
from the University of London. It is a particular privilege to accept a storied
honour presented by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. As
an alumnus of the London business school, I have witnessed first-hand the
university’s remarkable ability to transform ambition into achievement. My
family has long believed that education is the most enduring engine of
progress, capable of widening opportunity and reshaping communities. To be
recognised by an institution that embodies those values and continues to equip
new generations to take on an unpredictable world is both moving and motivating.”
Each year the University of London celebrates Foundation Day, a
landmark date of the annual calendar marking the institution’s first royal
charter, granted by William IV on 28 November 1836. The ceremony centres on the conferment of
honorary degrees and fellowships, a tradition that began in 1903 with
recipients including the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and
Queen Mary).
Foundation Day 2025 was attended by students and staff of the
University of London, representatives from its 17 Federation Member
institutions and its global network of Regional Teaching Centres, and people
with long-standing connections with the University.