Our past shapes us, our future inspires us: Celebrating Founders’ Day 2026

This annual event – now in its third year – brings members of the Queen Mary community together to celebrate the rich heritage of the University’s four founding institutions – The London Hospital Medical College, Queen Mary College, Westfield College and St Bartholomew’s Medical College – which spans over 240 years.

The event also provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the University as it is today, its research and education excellence and the many wonderful achievements of its alumni, staff and students.

Attended by over 250 guests, a highlight of the event was the bestowing of honorary degrees to Queen Mary alumni, who have made outstanding contributions to their fields. This year’s honorands were:

• Jo Parker-Swift (BSc Biology and Business), Founder and CEO of Solivus: Honorary Doctor of Sciences for her work to drive innovation, inclusivity and impact in the field of engineering and clean energy.
• Dr Gerard Lyons (PhD Economics), Economist and podcast presenter: Honorary Doctor of Letters for his work in and contributions to the field of economics, finance and policy globally.

The event was due to be even more  special and a real family affair for Dr Lyons as his daughter Elf Lyons, also a Queen Mary alumna (MA Theatre and Performance), was also due to be presented with an honorary degree. However, due to international tour commitments, Elf was unable to attend the event but did send a lovely video message for guests to enjoy. Elf will receive her degree in the near future instead. 

Throughout the evening, guests had the opportunity to engage with and be inspired by some of the University’s world-leading research, which is ranked 7^th in the UK and 31^st in the world. Through interactive stalls that dotted the University’s famous Octagon room, guests could learn about Queen Mary’s:

• work using virtual reality to amplify Indigenous voices sharing the threats they and their lands are facing through climate change
• research into how seaweed-based materials could reduce plastic pollution
• pioneering research and education relating to organ-on-a-chip technology
• innovation work, which is leading to many successful spin-out companies that are having a real-world impact

Speaking on the event, Professor Colin Bailey CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary said: “Our annual Founders’ Day event is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the shared visions of our founding institutions, which paved the way for Queen Mary to become the university it is today: one that is committed to opening the doors of opportunity through excellence by seamlessly combining world-leading education and research and to creating a truly inclusive environment where all students and staff flourish, and reach their full potential. “

He added: “It is also an opportunity to celebrate our alumni, staff and students and the wonderful contributions they make to society. This is particularly true of Jo, Elf and Gerard, three outstanding alumni who continue to use the education, experiences and skills they learned at Queen Mary to help others, locally and around the world, in many different ways.”