Inquiry barrister and pioneering engineer among LSBU honorary graduates
London South Bank University (LSBU) will present honorary awards to six people this year. Among them is an alumnus who has represented victims in some of the UK’s most significant public inquiries. Another is a pioneering engineer who built one of the country’s largest engineering departments at LSBU.
Sam Stein KC and Dr Agnes Kaposi MBE, alongside other distinguished individuals, will be honoured at our winter graduation ceremonies in October and November. The awards recognise contributions to law, engineering, education, healthcare, public service and social mobility.
Sam Stein KC - Doctor of the University
Sam Stein KC is a barrister with more than 30 years’ experience in criminal and regulatory law. He graduated from South Bank Polytechnic, now LSBU, in 1987 with an LLB (Hons) in Law and took silk in 2009.
He has worked on many of the UK’s most high-profile public inquiries. At the Grenfell Tower Inquiry he represented more than 140 bereaved people, survivors and residents. He has also acted for campaigners and victims at the Infected Blood Inquiry and for the largest group of sub-postmasters at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. He is currently instructed in the Southport, Nottingham and Lampard inquiries.
Dr Agnes Kaposi MBE FREng - Doctor of the University
Dr Agnes Kaposi is a Hungarian-born British engineer, educator and author. As Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at South Bank Polytechnic, she built it into one of the largest engineering departments in the UK. She was the third woman to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
As a child, Dr Kaposi survived the Debrecen ghetto and forced labour in camps in Austria. Her autobiography, Yellow Star – Red Star, recounts life in Hungary during and after the war. In 2021 she was appointed MBE for services to Holocaust education and awareness.
Tunji Akintokun MBE - Doctor of the University
Tunji Akintokun is a business and technology leader, trustee and philanthropist who champions diversity, social mobility and workplace inclusion. An LSBU alumnus with a masters in information technology, he has held director roles at Cisco, PwC and LinkedIn.
In 2017 he founded the Ilesha Charitable Trust, which supports talented individuals, including LSBU students, through grants, prizes and bursaries. He was appointed MBE in 2018 and awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2025.
Ruth Spellman OBE - Doctor of the University
Ruth Spellman has more than 25 years’ experience leading organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors. She has been Chief Executive of Investors in People, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Chartered Management Institute and the Workers’ Educational Association.
She is currently Chair of the South Bank Academies Board. She was appointed OBE in 2007 for services to workplace learning and received a lifetime achievement award at the Tes FE Awards in 2020.
Kieron Williams - Honorary Fellowship
Kieron Williams served as Leader of Southwark Council from 2020 to 2025. Under his leadership, the council introduced the country’s most comprehensive free school meals offer. It also delivered more than 3,000 council homes and London’s largest programme of apprenticeships and paid internships.
He has also served as a Board Member at Transport for London and as Executive Member for Transport, Environment and Climate Change at London Councils.
Helen Cherry - Honorary Fellowship
Helen Cherry was one of the first deaf people in the UK to train as a nurse. During a 40-year career in healthcare, she worked as a district nurse and on early HIV/AIDS projects in Australia, India and London.
Since 2017 she has been a member of LSBU’s People’s Academy. She has also served on PHIRST South Bank, drawing on her lived experience and professional expertise to improve education, research and community engagement.
Find out more about our Honorary Awards Ceremonies.