MORTAR boards will be flying across Southampton today as graduation ceremonies begin for 5,000 students in the city.

People will be graduating from the University of Southampton, alongside six leading figures from the fields of astronautics, education, electrochemistry, law and social science who will be receiving honorary degrees.

Intercity rivalry has been put aside as one is being awarded to John Craven who is retiring as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth – a post which he has held for 16 years.

Other notables receiving honorary degrees include Director of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Professor Richard Holdaway CBE, who graduated from the University of Southampton in 1970 with a 2:1 in Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Crossbench peer and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE will also be honoured along with Stuart Popham, Chair of Chatham House; Dame Valerie Strachan, former Chair of the University of Southampton’s Council; and pioneering electrochemist Professor Zhong-Qun Tian will join this year’s graduates at ceremonies at the University’s Highfield Campus.

The University will also be awarding Fellowships to petroleum geologist John Brooks CBE; Michael Erben, who led a number of degree programmes at the University; and Patrick Sandford, former artistic director of the Nuffield Theatre.

The graduation ceremonies will take place daily in the Turner Sims and the Nuffield Theatre from today until Thursday July 25.

Graduation ceremonies for students of Solent University will take place in November.