The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham has been honoured by one of Canada’s oldest universities.

Professor Sir David Greenaway attended Spring Convocation at University of Western Ontario, where he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Laws.

Sir David joins the ranks of innovators, politicians, an iconic Canadian author, industry titans and a former member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada all receiving honorary degrees as part of the university’s 309th Convocation.

It was given in recognition of his contribution to both economics and education over the last four decades.

Sir David said: “I am absolutely delighted to have received this recognition from the University of Western Ontario, one of Canada’s oldest and most distinguished Universities. It is a signal honour, and as well as being thrilled at a personal level, I also regard it as important recognition for our University.”

In conferring the honour Professor Audra Bowlas spoke about Sir David’s extraordinary career and his connections to Canada.

She said: “Sir David is an internationally renowned economist. His work has been cited more than 20,000 times and he has published in numerous world-class journals. His connections to Western include a 15-year collaboration with Professor Emeritus John Whalley as co-editors of the journal The World Economy.”

She spoke of his public service achievements including Chairman and member of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, the UK Senior Salaries Review Body, and as consultant to the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations, the Department for Transport and the UK Treasury.

She also lauded his commitment to fundraising through ambitious bicycle challenges.

In addressing the graduates from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Faculty of Social Science, Sir David encouraged them to reflect on the enduring nature of universities, where scholars engage the public and continually work to transform the world.

He said: “Graduates are entering a world of rapid change and challenges that come with that will define their lives and generations.

“Maintain high standards. Be bold and ambitious. Be resilient, and be prepared to take risks,” he said.

“If you take risks, sometimes you will fail and failure is not always a comfortable thing to deal with. But it is an essential thing to deal with because you can’t make progress without it.

“Be determined, apply yourself relentlessly. Work hard. Always retain a degree of humility and be prepared to listen. Always set out to give more than you take.”