Professor Sean Hilton was awarded an honorary doctorate by Kingston University at its annual graduation ceremony in London on 15 May.  Prof Hilton will retire from St George’s in July following a distinguished career in both management and academic roles.  He will join the St George’s, University of London Medical Programme at the University of Nicosia Medical School on 1 August as Professor of Medical Education and Dean for Clinical Studies.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Vice-Chancellor of Kingston University, Prof Julius Weinberg, noted that “Sean has been a central figure in St George’s reinvention from an independent Medical School to become the specialist institution in the health and medical sciences it is today.  The success of this diversification and expansion is built on the foundation of the important and longstanding partnership with Kingston University, which has much to do with Sean’s vision, leadership of academic innovation, collaborative skills and personal qualities.”

Prof  Weinberg added: “As well as his commitment to St George’s, Sean has built an international reputation in the field of professionalism in medicine and health and social care. He has published extensively and received a number of prestigious awards such as a Leverhulme Overseas Scholarship to work in the USA and Australia as well as the Royal College of General Practitioners’ William Pickles Lectureship in 2007. He was also a member of Dame Carol Black’s Royal College of Physicians Working Party on Doctors in Society and he chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners Essential Knowledge Update programme, a successful national lifelong learning project. He is also the President of the Academy of Medical Educators, a professional standards organisation for medical education.”