Kate Adie has been conferred with an honorary degree by St Andrews University.
Often reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, Ms Adie spoke of her “delight and honour” at receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws during the ceremony in the Younger Hall.
Described by Professor John Anderson, of the school of international relations, as “an extraordinary journalist,” she received the honorary doctorate in recognition of her contribution to British and international journalism.
He said, “She has travelled to numerous conflict zones around the world, covering, amongst other things, the Falklands war, the Northern Ireland conflict, the American bombing of Tripoli, the Lebanese civil war, the Armenian earthquake, the Tiananmen Square massacres, the first Gulf war, the Yugoslav civil war and the Rwandan genocide.”
In 2003 she stopped reporting directly from conflict zones and today she works primarily as a freelance journalist and presenter of the Radio 4 production, From Our Own Correspondent.
A graduate of Newcastle University, Miss Adie’s shift from local to the international news was marked in part by an accident of fate.
She was on duty the night the SAS stormed the Iranian embassy to resolve a hostage siege in 1980, reporting the event live from behind a car door.
The author of several books, she has won numerous honours, including the Richard Dimbleby Award in 1990 and an OBE in 1993.
After accepting the honour, Ms Adie also congratulated the graduates whom she told had been “wonderfully equipped with a wonderful education” to go out into the world.
She added, “You have a fantastic time in front of you. Have fun, do good.”
Ms Adie spoke of having a “family connection” with St Andrews University, with her late stepfather having graduated from there 72 years ago.
In a second ceremony, Professor Robert Darnton, director of the University Library of Harvard, also received an honorary doctorate of laws in recognition of his contribution to scholarship and public affairs.
In his laureation address, Professor Andrew Pettegree of the school of history, described Professor Darnton as one of those rare scholars who straddles the world of the librarian and the scholar.
He added, “He knows about books from every angle — from his scholarly work, which has substantially reshaped the field of book history, from his work at Harvard and as a public commentator on the challenges of the new media age.”