The University of Adelaide will recognise the achievements of leaders in medicine, Indigenous advocacy, and music during the institution's penultimate graduation ceremonies.
During the week of graduation ceremonies, Emeritus Professor Graeme Koehne AO, Nukunu Elder Kym Thomas and Emeritus Professor Antony Basten AO will receive Honorary Doctorates, the highest recognition the University can bestow.
There will be seven ceremonies during the week, with 1850 students in attendance.
"The University of Adelaide is honoured to recognise the substantial and inspiring achievements of Emeritus Professor Graeme Koehne AO, Nukunu Elder Kym Thomas, and Emeritus Professor Antony Basten AO FAA FTSE, who are leaders in their respective fields," said Professor Peter Høj AC, the University of Adelaide's Vice-Chancellor and President.
"The University's high-achieving alumni are an inspiration to all our students, especially those who are celebrating their graduations this week.
"I would like to congratulate all of our students who are taking part in a graduation ceremony, along with those who have graduated but are unable to attend.
"Graduating from university is a special moment in students' lives and is wonderful recognition for all the hard work put in over the years."
Emeritus Professor Graeme Koehne AO is one of Australia's most distinguished composers, creating orchestral, chamber, and ballet scores that are recognised across the world. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium of Music and began earning international attention after he received the John Bishop Memorial Commission for the Adelaide Festival in 1982.
Emeritus Professor Koehne studied at Yale University before joining the Elder Conservatorium of Music as Lecturer in Composition in 1986; he rose to hold the position of Director of the Conservatorium from 2015 to 2022.
His chamber opera Love Burns debuted at the 1992 Adelaide Festival of Arts and was revived by State Opera South Australia in 2021-22, while his Forty Reasons to be Cheerful was performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for the Festival Centre's 40th anniversary in 2023.
Emeritus Professor Koehne was the first person commissioned to write a full evening work, 1914, for the Australian Ballet, with his work also taken on by the Sydney Dance Company. His works have also been performed at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games closing ceremony and the wedding reception of King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark.
Emeritus Professor Koehne was a key architect in the State's music education strategy while also serving on bodies including the Board of the Adelaide UNESCO City of Music where he has been a director since 2015.
Kym Thomas has dedicated his life to championing for First Nations voices and health outcomes after growing up near Port Augusta on Nukunu Country. He has an extensive history of working within the higher and adult education sectors to manage educational programs, create cultural awareness programs and outline challenges for Aboriginal students in rural and remote areas.
Thomas has been managing collaborative partnerships and projects which contribute to the overall Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research, Education, and Recruitment Strategy at the University of Adelaide, holding positions including Project Officer Aboriginal Health, Executive Team Member of the Spencer Gulf Rural Health Service, and Indigenous Unit Coordinator.
While helping to deliver Aboriginal health and cultural awareness training for staff and students, including visits to the APY Lands, Thomas has shaped the curriculum both at the University, and the development of the Australian Medical Council Standards in Aboriginal Health.
His commitment to empowering Aboriginal people extends beyond the University, having served on numerous boards and committees, advocating for Indigenous health and wellbeing. He has been a vital force in improving the capacity of local general practices to deliver culturally sensitive primary care, and he has championed initiatives to increase the uptake of Aboriginal-specific healthcare programs.
Emeritus Professor Antony Basten AO FAA FTSE has earned recognition of the highest honour for his service to the University and in the fields of medicine and immunology. He has contributed to major advances in cell and molecular biology, particularly relating to the treatment of certain cancers and types of leukaemia, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, and infections like AIDS and leprosy, earning recognition from organisations including Rotary International in 1996 and the Federal Government's Centenary Medal in 1998.
In 1981 Emeritus Professor Basten was elected to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and was awarded one of the first Commonwealth Centres of Excellence by the Federal Government. This became the core unit of the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, of which Professor Basten was the founding Director from 1989 to 2005.
He has published more than 280 scientific papers in international papers since graduating from the University in 1964.
Emeritus Professor Basten has prestigious ties to the University of Adelaide with his father, Sir Henry Bolton Basten having served as Vice-Chancellor from 1958 to 1967, and his brother, The Honourable John Basten KC having also received an Honorary Doctorate.
