AWARD-winning journalist Kate Adie is one of three exceptional individuals to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship by York St John University.

The UK's newest university is hosting two graduation ceremonies at York Minster this week today and tomorrow.

Katie Adie will be attending the morning graduation ceremony tomorrow.

Her most high profile role was that of chief news reporter for the BBC. She became well known for reporting from war zones around the world.

Kate has also been awarded the Richard Dimbleby BAFTA in 1990 and an OBE in 1993.

Also receiving an Honorary Fellowship will be Wolfgang Mastnak who has had many links with York St John University in previous years, collaborating with conductor Ralph Bateman in a series of performances of Mozart Piano concerts with the University's string orchestra.

He has three PhDs in Mathematics, Clinical Psychology and Music Education and Ethnology. He is currently a Professor of Music Pedagogy at the Hochschule in Munich and also a Professor at the Conservatory in Shanghai.

Cynthia Cockburn will receive an Honorary Fellowship from the School of Health and Life Sciences. Cynthia has worked closely with women peace activists in conflicting countries.

Some of her publications in this area include The space between us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict, and The Line: Women, Partition and the Gender Order in Cyprus.

Her most recent research has involved mapping and analysing feminist opposition to war as a growing, global and social movement.

Family and friends will attend the ceremonies to celebrate the success of the 2006 graduates and that of this year's Honorary Fellows.

York St John University College dropped the College tag to become the UK's newest university in October.

The rebranding followed a long period of transition, which included gaining taught degree awarding powers in September, 2005, and being given permission to use the name of University College in February, this year.

Prof Dianne Willcocks was appointed as the new vice-chancellor of York St John University, which is the seventh-largest provider of primary school teachers in the country, while other subjects taught include management, health studies, sport and psychology, and arts.

The vast majority of its 5,062 students are from York or the surrounding area.