RCSI begins celebrating its 2025 Winter conferrings this week with more than 1,780 health sciences graduates and two honorary doctorates conferred across five ceremonies.

The first conferring ceremonies took place on 19 November at RCSI’s St Stephen’s Green campus, where over 127 candidates graduated with healthcare professional degrees including BSc Degrees in Pharmacy and Physiotherapy as well as Honours Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Obstetrics.

Candidates were presented by the Vice Chancellor of RCSI, Professor Cathal Kelly, and conferred by RCSI President, Professor Deborah McNamara.

A further 117 students graduated during the afternoon Postgraduate Academic Awards Degree ceremony, degrees awarded to the candidates included Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, Master of Science (MSc), Master of Surgery (MCh), Degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Professor Luke O’Neill, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, received an Honorary Doctorate Award during this ceremony. A leading expert in innate immunity and co-founder of two start-up companies, Sitryx and Inflazone, Professor O’Neill’s work focuses on the development of new medicines for inflammatory diseases. He is also renowned for his outstanding public engagement, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremonies continue on 24 November with three conferrings at The Convention Centre in Dublin. The morning Postgraduate Academic Awards ceremony will see 360 candidates conferred with Professional and Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas in areas such as Clinical Leadership, Positive Health, Loss and Bereavement and Human Factors in Patient Safety. Candidates will also be awarded Degrees of Master of Surgery (MCh), Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) and Master of Science (MSc) in Technologies and Analytics in Precision Medicine and Positive Health Coaching.

In the afternoon, the Degree of Master of Science ceremony will celebrate 409 graduates. During this ceremony, MSc will be awarded in areas such as Healthcare Ethics and Law, Healthcare Management, Advanced Clinical Practice and Nursing and Midwifery programmes.

An Honorary Doctorate will be bestowed upon Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu at the afternoon conferring ceremony, during which she will deliver an address to those in attendance.

Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu is an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London. In 1979 she became the first ever UK sickle cell and thalassaemia nurse counsellor. Professor Anionwu was awarded a Damehood in 2017 for services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, before receiving the Order of Merit in 2022. Over the years, she has been recognised among the 70 most influential nurses and midwives in the history of the NHS, named one of the 100 Greatest Black Britons, and featured on the BBC 100 Women list in 2020.

The conferring celebrations will conclude with 768 graduates from the School of Nursing and Midwifery being conferred at the Professional Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma Conferring.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor of RCSI, congratulated all graduates on their accomplishments: “Your conferring today is a wonderful celebration of your achievements and a tribute to each and every one of you. It represents many years of hard work and is testament to your dedicated focus on a career in health sciences.”