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BBC presenter and doctor, Chris van Tulleken, and economist and journalist, Paul Johnson CBE, were awarded honorary degrees at the University of Sussex’s winter graduation on Thursday 25 January.

Chris and Paul were part of the University’s annual winter graduation event, which this year recognised the achievements of 2,154 graduating students, including those from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Across Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 January, six ceremonies were held at the Brighton Centre, with 4,369 guests in attendance from 39 countries, to celebrate with the graduates. The University’s Chancellor, TV actor Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE, was also present to confer the degrees.

As a graduation tradition, the University identifies and honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their fields.

This year's honorary graduates are both highly respected and recognisable names, who carry links to the region or the University itself.

Doctor Chris van Tulleken was recognised for his work in engaging and educating the public on health and medicine issues. His TV programme, Operation Ouch!, a programme for children which explores the human body, is also filmed at Brighton and Sussex Medical School labs.

Economist Paul Johnson CBE, who grew up in Shoreham-by-Sea, was recognised for his expertise in commenting on and analysing economics, particularly in relation to government policy.

Professor Sasha Roseneil, University of Sussex’s Vice-Chancellor and President said:

“Graduation is a huge celebration for our students and wider Sussex community as we come together to acknowledge the achievements of those who have completed their studies. Sussex graduations are unique, joyful occasions and we encourage students to express themselves as they cross the stage, and enjoy their moment in the spotlight.

“This year’s honorary graduates embody the values and ambition of Sussex, and we hope that they will inspire our graduating students to make a positive difference in society in their working lives, just as Chris van Tulleken and Paul Johnson are doing every day.”

Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at University College London Hospital (UCLH) and author of the recently published book, Ultra Processed People, an exposé on how ultra-processed foods contribute to ill health. Chris is also one half of the van Tulleken twins, working alongside his brother Xand for TV shows including Twinstitute, which put competing health theories to the test with the help of 30 other pairs of identical twins, and Operation Ouch. Operation Ouch! is filmed every year with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School’s Anatomy team who help to create material used on the show.

Prior to the graduation ceremony, Chris visited the University of Sussex’s Falmer campus to deliver a public lecture on ultra-processed food and its impact on our bodies and the planet.

Chris said: “I am beyond delighted to receive this honorary degree from the University of Sussex. For more than a decade, I have worked closely with the team from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and it has been a great experience sharing ideas and collaborating on different projects, particularly Operation Ouch!. I wish this cohort of students every bit of success as they move on to this next chapter.”

Paul Johnson CBE is an economist and a highly respected commentator on public policy. He is Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and a columnist for The Times Paul grew up locally, in Shoreham-by-Sea, and went on to study at the University of Oxford. He has served on the council of the ESRC and the Royal Economic Society, and has been Chief Economist at the Department for Education and as Director of Public Spending at HM Treasury. In 2023, Paul published Follow the Money, a book which explores the cost to run the UK economy.

Paul says: “As a local boy, growing up just down the road in Shoreham-by-Sea, it is a huge honour to be getting this degree from Sussex University. While I’ve lived in London for my whole adult life I have always had a huge affection for Brighton and for Sussex, I come back regularly, and I have always recognised the great job the university does for its students and in the local community”.

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