Winter Graduation 2026
News
Celebrating the BSU community at Winter Graduation 2026
Thursday, 5 February, 2026Graduates from across Bath Spa University’s campuses celebrated on a rainy day in Bath, for the 2026 Winter Graduation. Students gathered at the Forum to mark the occasion with their family and friends, with awards ranging from undergraduates all the way through to doctoral students including a diverse group of international and mature students.
PHDs in the spotlight
The ceremonies included undergraduates and postgraduates from across all BSU’s schools, as well as eleven doctorates being awarded in the morning ceremony, with four given for Philosophy in Music alone.
Head of the Bath School of Music and Performing Arts Dr Matthew Lovett said of the feat:
"Research in the School of Music and Performing Arts continues to grow and evolve, and as these PhD projects show, our researchers’ engagement with music in all its forms on both the national and international stage is playing a vital role in shaping global discourse in a changing world."
The first postgraduate BSU London cohort
The very first cohort of BSU London postgraduates joined the ceremonies. 13 MA students headed to Bath to become postgraduates, taking to The Forum stage to celebrate successfully completing their MA Business Management programme delivered at BSU’s site in Hackney, London.
Speaking about this significant milestone for BSU London (Hackney), Jaganath Karki, Course Director said:
“What makes this achievement even more rewarding is seeing their journeys beyond graduation. Several of our graduates are already in employment, while others have confidently stepped into running their own businesses, applying the knowledge and skills gained during the programme.
“As a Programme Leader of this intake, it gives me immense satisfaction to witness their growth and success. I am truly glad to see our PG students graduate successfully from the London campus and take their next steps with confidence.”
Ten years of Bath Business School
This graduation day also served as a celebration of ten years of the Bath Business School. Since its launch, Bath Business School and its courses have gone from strength to strength, solidifying partnerships, launching exciting new courses and gaining various recognitions along the way.
Founder of the Bath Business School, and Vice-Chancellor of BSU Georgina Andrews said of the milestone:
“I am most proud of all of the staff, students, alumni and partners who form part of our community of learners, and who have worked together to create such a vibrant and successful Business School.”
Honorary awards presented at Winter Graduation
Two special awards were handed out at the ceremony, including a posthumous award and an honorary doctorate.
Mathew Frith was posthumously awarded a Master of Arts in Nature and Travel Writing. As a London native, Mathew championed the idea that the city’s people and nature are intrinsically linked, shaping the work of the London Wildlife Trust where he worked for over three decades. His work saw him receive an MBE in 2023 for services to the natural environment.
After pursuing a career in Zoology and wildlife conservation, Mathew began pursuing an MA in Nature and Travel Writing at BSU. Mathew’s legacy will live on in the countless people he inspired and the landscapes he helped to protect. The award was accepted on his behalf by Mathew’s sister, Penny.
BSU also proudly awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education to Professor Vitalii Demianchuk, of International University of Economics and Humanities (IUEH), Rivne, Ukraine, a key partner for BSU. Professor Demianchuk has been Rector of IUEH, a university in the west of Ukraine, since 2020.
Under Professor Demianchuk’s leadership, IUEH has proven itself to be a pioneering private university, actively embracing European pedagogical and scholarly standards to ensure innovative teaching and research. He successfully steered IUEH through the COVID pandemic and has provided staunch leadership since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022.
Despite the wet weather, it was a wonderful day of celebration for all involved, and a chance to recognise the outstanding achievements of BSU’s class of 2025.