Brian Pearce awarded Honorary LLD from Warwick University

We are delighted to announce that the University of Warwick will be awarding Brian Pearce an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at its degree congregation on July 15th. Brian has had a long association with Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, and has been a strong supporter of research and development in our field throughout his time at the Inter Faith Network. All the members of the WRERU team send him our warmest congratulations on the award of the degree.

Brian recently retired as Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK. He had been Director of the Inter Faith network for the UK since it was established in 1987.

Before becoming involved full time in inter faith work, he served in the civil service from 1959 to 1986, including posts in the Department of Economic Affairs, Civil Service Department and HM Treasury. He took a sabbatical from the Treasury to help with exploratory work to look at the need for a new body which could link the major faiths in the UK and promote good relations between people of different religions. He was already active in the World Congress of Faiths, the Council of Christians and Jews and the Inter-Faith Committee of the British Council of Churches and set up the Inter Faith Network for the UK.

The Inter Faith Network links national representative organisations of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities; national and local inter faith organisations; and educational bodies with an interest in inter faith and multi faith issues. It works at national and local levels to foster inter faith co-operations and understanding. Under Brian Pearce's leadership, the Network has had significant educational outreach, working with Ministries and with education NGOs such as the Religious Education Council of England & Wales, the Shap Working Party on World Religions in Education and European Association for World Religions in Education, and has facilitated work at the interface between the study of religions and citizenship education through the organisation of conferences.