BBC broadcaster collects accolade from The Open University

Posted on 3 July 2023 • Honorary Graduate

It was back to her roots for psychologist and broadcaster Claudia Hammond recently when she was awarded an honorary degree by The Open University.

Claudia was a psychology tutor for ten years at the OU’s summer schools and has made a name for herself in broadcast journalism.

She is now one of BBC radio’s most recognisable and important voices, primarily based on Radio Four and the World Service.

Among many other programmes and podcasts, she presents weekly instalments of Health Check, and All in the Mind, the world’s longest-running series on mental health.

On receiving the accolade, she said:

“I’m so honoured to receive this honorary doctorate because I have so many connections with The Open University and it is such a special university. Completely unique.”

She said:

“My sister and my mother-in-law both studied with The Open University and loved it.” 

She continued: “These days, with the BBC team, I work in partnership with The Open University on All In The Mind, the show and podcast that I present which covers psychology and neuroscience and mental health.

“I’m very lucky because this job means that every week I’m reading brand new research and then I interview the authors and I get to ask them about any bits of their papers that I didn’t quite understand, which is a nice way to be a kind of unofficial perpetual student.”

And she urged graduates to capitalise on their learning skills, to carry on being curious and always thinking critically about what they read and what they hear.

She added:

“So I’d say whatever else you’re doing you can still also be an unofficial perpetual student.”