Honorary
Doctorates |
Naaz Coker received an Honorary Doctorate of Science at Leeds Met Graduation Ceremonies
View images for Naz Coker receiving her Honorary Award
Naaz Coker, Chair of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, and Chair of the British Refugee Council since 1998 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of science at Leeds Met on Thursday 14 July at 2.30pm.
Naaz Coker, on the conferment of the award of Honorary Doctor of Science, said: “I’m delighted and privileged to receive this doctorate especially from a university so committed to diversity and pioneering work in the developing world.
“When I was in the refugee office recently, I heard nothing but praise for Leeds Met. I met one student who said Leeds Met had given them a new story to tell and a new life and an Iraqi refugee, who was studying a part-time degree at the University, said that Leeds Met was helping him to achieve his dreams and aspirations.
“To receive an honorary degree from such a university is certainly an honour and a privilege.”
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust is one of Britain’s largest NHS trusts. At its heart is St George’s Hospital which ranks amongst London’s premier undergraduate teaching hospitals. The British Refugee Council is a large charitable organisation which provides services to, and promotion of, the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and abroad.
Naaz Coker grew up in Tanzania and completed her university studies in the UK. She graduated in 1971 with an honours degree in pharmacy and in 1974 gained a masters degree in pharmacology from the University of London followed by an MBA from the Open University Business School some years later.
Her career spans thirty years in the public and voluntary sectors. She spent twenty years in the National Health Service where her roles ranged from Pharmaceutical and Clinical Director to General Manager in acute NHS trusts in London. This was followed by ten years at the King’s Fund, a charitable foundation working in the field of health and social care, where she was Director of the Race and Diversity programme and fellow in leadership development. She has written widely on racism and ethnic health inequalities in the NHS and the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the West.
Naaz has had many voluntary appointments. She is currently a trustee of the Media Trust, a director of the Community Channel, a trustee of the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures & Commerce and a member of the Oxfam Association. She is also a member of the Home Office Race Equality Advisory Panel.
In May 2004 Naaz Coker was awarded ‘Asian Woman of the Year’ by the Asian Guild and won the Asian Woman of Achievement award in the public sector category earlier this year.
