A DIRECTOR of one of the world’s most famous art galleries, one of the country’s highly decorated lawyers and a former chancellor are among those set to be awarded honorary degrees at Essex University.

This year’s graduation celebrations are set to be the biggest in the university’s history with 12 separate ceremonies taking place across three days in July.

The nine distinguished honourary graduates will join 3,300 students and 10,000 guests for the celebrations.

Tate Modern director Frances Morris, whose parents live in Mersea, has worked at the leading gallery for 30 years and has been described as one of the true architects of the gallery, and will be one of the people honoured by the university.

Baroness Helena Kennedy has practised at the Bar for more than four decades in criminal law and human rights and has been a member of the House of Lords for 19 years, chairing the sub committee on justice within the European Union.

Former university chancellor Lord Phillips of Sudbury is also set to be honoured.

After his distinguished law career, which began in 1957, he set up three national charities - The Citizenship Foundation, The Legal Action Group and LawWorks before a decade of service to the university between 2003 and 2013.

Lord Phillips is also a retired Liberal Democrat peer.

Fashion designer Anya Hindmarch founded her luxury accessories business in London in 1987 and has since opened 45 stores including in New York and Tokyo.

She is also a UK trade ambassador and a non-executive director of the British Fashion Council and a trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts and the Design Museum.

Business expert George Kieffer has been a member of the University’s Enterprise and Industrial Advisory Boards since 2009 .

He is chairman of Haven Gateway Partnership, chairman of the Estuary Housing Association and a board member of Visit Essex.

British Academy director Alun Evans is also set to be handed an honourary degree. He graduated from Essex University in 1980 with a degree in government before eventually joining the civil service and also works as a visiting professor King’s College London.

Another Essex alumna, Annemarie Naylor is set to get another degree for her work with governments of all sizes and for developing a national network for community libraries.

After leaving Essex University with a degree in environment, science and society Afsheen Rashid set up Repowering London which installs solar power stations on community buildings and is now set to be rewarded by the university.

The final graduand is Phillip Tolhurst, who has championed the university in Southend and helped group the satellite campus.