Outstanding alumni

Here are some of the UC alumni who have made a great difference to the world and who stand as shining examples. The UC Legends initiative celebrates these alumni with pride and maintains an ongoing connection between today’s UC students and those of the past. Learn about some of the famous people who studied at UC.

We are proud of how our graduates have excelled in a multitude of areas through a wide range of achievements. Check out some of our notable alumni, including Lianne Dalziel and Sir John Key.

Whether they graduated in Arts, Engineering, Law, or Product Design, read the success stories of young UC alumni. See what they studied are how they're making a difference in the world today.

UC awards Honorary Doctorates to people in our wider national and international community who have made outstanding contributions in their field. These are people who have substantially contributed to the well-being and betterment of society, or to cultural development and understanding. See who has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from UC.

A number of UC Alumni are published authors. Have a look at the books UC graduates have published.

Since 1931, when Ernest, Lord Rutherford received Canterbury College’s first Honorary Doctorate, the University of Canterbury has conferred 120 of these awards. Sixty-one of these were given before the year 2000. See who received these earlier awards.

UC Alumni Ambassadors work closely withh alumni and the UC Foundation to support alumni activities in their region. They help by developing connections with local alumni and those new to their area. Find your local alumni ambassador or get in touch if you'd like to volunteer to become an ambassador.

UC graduates are part of a worldwide network of over 140,000 alumni! Have you moved recently? Update your details if you need to so your dot is in the right place and we can invite you to alumni events in your area.

Haven’t heard from us in a while? If you've changed your postal or email address, please update your details so we can let you know about events and University news that might be relevant to you.

The University of Canterbury Young Alumni Awards acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of our graduates and celebrate the remarkable contributions they have made to their profession, community, or chosen field of expertise. Find out more about the Young Alumni awards.