Actor Alan Cumming awarded honorary Open University degree

Alan Cumming spoke passionately about the benefits of education during his speech.

Actor Alan Cumming OBE has been awarded an honorary degree by the Open University.

Cumming, best known for his roles in X-Men and GoldenEye, has been recognised for his contribution to education and culture.

He was awarded alongside former BBC Scotland weather presenter Heather Reid, known to many as 'Heather the Weather'.

The graduates were recognised at a ceremony in Edinburgh's Usher Hall.

Dr Alison Elliot, the first female Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Karyn McCluskey, director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, have also been recognised for outstanding public service.

'Thirst for knowledge'

In his address to the ceremony, Cumming said: "I remember growing up and the Open University programming coming on at the end of the day's TV broadcasts.

"Now they use online learning and the latest technologies to support their students, but for me the Open University has always represented a thirst for knowledge, a hunger to be educated.

"People who enrol with the OU so often do so in conjunction with working or raising kids, and so it's always seemed to me that anyone with an Open University degree has doubly triumphed: they have fought so hard and sacrificed so much to learn and better themselves. That's why I'm so honoured to receive this degree.

"Education is all. Education is the only thing that will save us. It is a right, not a privilege. But sadly, in many parts of the world people are denied it.

"So you can only imagine how honoured I am today, getting a degree from an institution whose core aim is to give access to education to as many people as possible. I couldn't be happier to be here."

'Great honour'

Dr Heather Reid was awarded with an honorary degree

Dr Reid said: "For many years I have admired and respected how the Open University has continued to provide high-quality university education for people of all ages and backgrounds."

Dr Elliot said: "Undertaking academic learning alongside everyday concerns may be tough but I'm sure it leads to more-rounded students and better understanding of the subjects at hand.

"I take my hat off to all OU graduates and it's a great honour to share this special day with them."

Ms McCluskey said: "I know so many people who have used the Open University to change the course of their lives, studying while holding down jobs, caring for children and elderly parents, and even while caught up in the justice system. The OU is life-changing and one of our greatest institutions."

John D'Arcy, acting director of the Open University in Scotland, said: "The exceptional calibre of honorary graduates we have here today shows how highly our students, and colleagues who teach and support them, are regarded.

"It's a pleasure and a privilege to welcome them as part of the Open University family."