Sir Sean Connery Collects Honorary Doctorate from Home-town University in Edinburgh

Sir Sean Connery Collects Honorary Doctorate from Home-town University in Edinburgh

HONG KONG, June 19 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The world-renowned actor Sir Sean Connery will be awarded an 'Honorary Doctorate of the University' by his home- town university today (Friday, 19 June).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090619/HKF006 )

The Edinburgh-born Scot will collect his degree at a ceremony from Edinburgh Napier University, situated in Scotland's capital city. Sir Sean will be accompanied by his wife, Lady Micheline Connery at the special event at the university's historic and beautiful Craighouse Campus.

Edinburgh Napier University is a friendly, lively, modern university, with campuses conveniently located around Edinburgh - one of the UK's most student- friendly cities. Edinburgh Napier offers over 200 undergraduate and post graduate courses and has around 15,000 students from over 80 countries. Edinburgh Napier was ranked number one for Graduate Employability in Scotland.

Sean Connery is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winning actor and producer who has acted in over 60 films. In 1987, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. He has also starred in such great films as The Hunt for Red October (1990), Rising Sun (1993), Dragonheart (1996), Finding Forrester (2000) and seven James Bond films. He was knighted by the Queen in July 2000.

Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh on the 25 August 1930 to Joe and Effie Connery. His Irish grandfather Tommy made the crossing from Ireland to Scotland in search of work, subsequently moving the Connery family to Edinburgh where he made a living driving a horse and cart collecting old clothes. Sean's Scottish Grandfather, Neil Maclean, was a stonemason who later retired to the countryside in Fife (Scotland), and his holidays which featured cart-horse rides across the fields gave the young city boy a glimpse of what must have seemed like the prairies of the cowboy movies he loved.

Sir Sean is Honorary Chairman of Friends of Scotland - a US charity formed to create, stimulate and sustain an interest in Scotland and its history. He is also a Patron of the Screen Academy Scotland. This joint venture between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art was set up in 2005 to educate and train film making talent. Its students and alumni are now making impressive in-roads into the world of film. Sir Sean is also Patron of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and has helped foster relationships between the two organisations.

In 2000, Sir Sean Connery received a Knighthood from the Queen at a ceremony in the palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, describing it as one of the proudest days of his life.

Professor Dame Joan Stringer, Principal & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: "We are delighted to both welcome Sir Sean Connery home to Edinburgh and to award him with an Honorary Doctorate for his immense contribution to acting. He is an inspiration to so many people, but particularly to our students studying with the Screen Academy Scotland who would hope one day to work with such great actors as Sir Sean."

Sean Connery said: "I am delighted to receive this Honorary Degree from Edinburgh Napier University. It is pleasure to be involved with a university which does so much to help develop the Scottish film industry.

"I would like to congratulate the university on its work in this area and its ongoing commitment to the Screen Academy. I wish them continued success."

Notes to Editor

Other recent recipients of Honorary Degrees from Edinburgh Napier University are:

   March 2009   -- Doug Allan, International wildlife and documentary cameramen    Nov 2008   -- David Quarmby, Chairman of the Independent Transport Commission   -- Giovanni Benedetti, Chairman of Benedetti International   -- Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Edinburgh International Book      Festival   -- Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland's Political Editor    Media contact:     Vinelle Leung, Fleishman-Hillard    Tel:   +852-2111-3556    Email: vinelle.leung@fleishman.com     Patrick McFall, Communications, Edinburgh Napier University    Tel:     +44-0-131-455-6314    Email:   p.mcfall@napier.ac.uk    Website: http://www.napier.ac.uk/  

CONTACT: Vinelle Leung of Fleishman-Hillard, +852-2111-3556,
vinelle.leung@fleishman.com for Edinburgh Napier University; Patrick McFall,
Communications of Edinburgh Napier University, +44

Source: Edinburgh Napier University

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Profile: International Entertainment