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Spotlight · Arts, culture and heritage
Ncuti Gatwa
Actor. Star of Sex Education and the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, honoured by the University of Glasgow in its 575th anniversary year.
“We need community. Community is what keeps us alive.”
Ncuti Gatwa, University of Glasgow Commemoration Day, 17 June 2026
Key facts
- Graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a BA in Acting in 2013
- BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Television, 2020, for Sex Education
- The first Black actor to lead Doctor Who, as the Fifteenth Doctor
- Honorary Doctor of the University, Glasgow Commemoration Day, 17 June 2026
Their story
Celebrating Dr Ncuti Gatwa
Our first Honorary Doctor this week from the University of Glasgow is actor Ncuti Gatwa.
The University awarded Ncuti an Honorary Doctor of the University on 17 June 2026, at the Commemoration Day ceremony marking its 575th anniversary. The honour recognised his contribution to the performing arts.
Trained in Glasgow Ncuti was born in Kigali, Rwanda, in 1992 and grew up in Edinburgh and Dunfermline. He trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, graduating with a BA in Acting in 2013, and began his career on the Dundee Rep graduate scheme.
From stage to screen On stage he has played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet in Manchester, Demetrius at Shakespeare's Globe and Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre. His breakthrough came as Eric Effiong in Netflix's Sex Education. The role earned him the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Television in 2020 and three BAFTA TV nominations.
The Fifteenth Doctor In 2022 Ncuti was announced as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, the first Black actor to lead the series. He made his debut in 2023 and won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actor for the role in 2024.
Why this matters Speaking on Commemoration Day, Ncuti said: "We need community. Community is what keeps us alive." His honour from Glasgow celebrates a performer whose training began in the city, and whose work now reaches audiences around the world.