2008
Lord David Puttnam of Queensgate, film producer
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the cultural landscape of the UK, in both economic and creative terms, and for his notable support for the Nottingham City-based GameCity Festival.
David Puttnam spent 30 years as an independent film producer, bringing award-winning films such as The Mission, The Killing Fields, Local Hero, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Memphis Belle to audiences worldwide. Awarded the Best Picture Oscar in 1981 for his work on Chariots of Fire, a year later he received the BAFTA Michael Balcon Award for his outstanding contribution to the British film industry. In 2006 he was awarded the Fellowship of the Academy.
Now retired from film production he focuses much of his time on wide-ranging work in education, the environment and supporting humanitarian causes. He founded the National Teaching Awards and served as the first Chair of the General Teaching Council. He was also founding Chair of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and helped establish Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media.
He was appointed to the House of Lords in 1997 and numerous recent appointments include Chancellor of the Open University and Chairman of Futurelab, one of the world's leading centres for innovation in education. In 2006 Lord Puttnam performed the official opening of the first GameCity Festival, a cultural celebration of video games and interactive entertainment. The University is the lead partner in the festival, now an annual event.