Oxford announces honorary degrees for 2012

Seven leading figures from the worlds of science, the arts, intelligence and business are set to receive honorary degrees from the University of Oxford this year, subject to approval by Congregation. The degrees will be awarded at Encaenia, the University's annual honorary degree ceremony, on Wednesday 20 June 2012. Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa: Baroness (Elizabeth Lydia) Manningham-Buller , DCB, MA Oxf, is the former Director General of MI5, the British internal Security Service, a post she occupied from October 2002 until her retirement on 20 April 2007. Specialising in counter-terrorism, she was senior liaison officer working with the US intelligence community over the period of the first Gulf War, before leading the newly-created Irish counter-terrorism section from 1992. She was appointed Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College London in July 2011. She is an Honorary Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, where she read English. David John Moore Cornwell, MA Oxf, writes as John le Carré, one of the world's most celebrated authors whose writing career spans 50 years and 22 novels which have been translated into 36 languages and adapted for film, TV and radio.