President Michael D Higgins of Ireland receives an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Manchester.

President Michael D Higgins of Ireland receives an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Manchester, where he studied as a postgraduate student. The conferral ceremony is held by the university's chancellor, Nazir Afzal, in recognition of Higgins' significant contributions to literature and public life. In addition, Higgins delivers the inaugural address in the university's new John Kennedy Lecture Series, focusing on the role of universities as spaces for discourse during interacting crises.