THOUSANDS of students donned their gowns and hit the beach to mark the end of their time at university.

Graduation ceremonies at the University of Sussex saw more than 3,500 jubilant students walk away with their hard-earned degrees, a culmination of years of study.

Their achievements were celebrated at 12 separate ceremonies hosted at the Brighton Centre throughout this week.

Adam Tickell, the university’s vice-chancellor, said: “The University of Sussex is home to a diverse range of passionate and dedicated students; students who will go on to inspire others, challenge injustices and influence change for a better world.

“Each and every graduate will have gone through their own personal journey to get to where they are today and they should feel immensely proud of all they have worked for.

“I wish them every success for their futures as they embark on a new chapter of their story.”

The university encouraged students to share their favourite stories from their time studying on the south east coast.

Lauren Baker, who studied criminology, said: “Studying at Sussex has allowed me to meet the most amazing people who I will be friends with for a lifetime.

“From partying together in first year, to making Christmas dinner in a tiny Northfield oven, I have experienced so many memories that will stay with me forever.

“Living in Brighton has been a dream and has given me access to a beach at my front door. Although every uni experience has its ups and downs, my time at Sussex has set me up for a promising future that I am eager to begin.”

The degrees were handed out by the university’s chancellor, actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE, who succeeded academy award winner Richard Attenborough CBE.

He has held the position for the last 10 years and in that time he has handed out more than 56,000 degrees - 40,000 of these in person.

He said: “I remember looking at the students’ newspaper, The Badger, and seeing my approval rating as the choice for Chancellor being just 30 per cent.

“These were students who had expected to receive their degree from a Peer of the Realm, an Oscar-winning film director, a legend. Instead, as one student put it, they were getting me, ‘a third-rate TV comedian’.”

But the comedian quickly won over students with a series of witty speeches and an occasional dance move thrown in during handshakes. He has since seen many students choose to hug him, rather than grasp his hand, as they accept their honour.

He said: “I’ve never insisted on hugs, that’s totally the graduates’ choice or not, both of which I totally respect.

“To begin with, I felt I had to perform. But then I realised that I was just the conduit for the students to express themselves in whichever way they chose.

“There’s something vulnerable about a student walking onto the stage with their arms open. But the fact that they can do that, that they feel they have the agency to do it, is a wonderful thing. I find it really moving.”

The ceremonies also saw the university award five honorary degrees.

These were awarded to physicist Professor Ann Wintle, social scientist Professor Nikolas Rose, historian Professor Catherine Hall, cosmologist Professor Carlos Frenk and technology industry leader Simon Segars.