HONG KONG, June 20 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Hundreds of Chinese students can now look up to a movie star "honorary graduate" from their university. Sir Sean Connery received an "Honorary Doctorate of the University" degree from Edinburgh Napier University, based in Scotland's capital city, on Friday, 19 June.
(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2009/06/19/200906192106.html )
Over 300 Chinese students are undertaking courses at Edinburgh Napier University. 62 are from the Shandong province; 29 from Heilongjiang province; 21 from Henan province; 19 from Fujian province and 18 from Beijing. Many of these are studying business-related courses at the well-respected Scottish university.
The Edinburgh-born Scot will collect his honorary degree at a ceremony at the University's 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 (HESA 2008).
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.
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.
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 Connery is 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.
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."
Media contact:
Vinelle Leung
Fleishman-Hillard Hong Kong
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
Websites: http://www.napier.ac.uk
http://www.NapierChina.com
