Honorary graduates 2021

Mark Hannaford FEWM FRGS FRSA (DSc)

Saturday 11 December 2021 3:00pm

Mark Hannaford has spent decades focusing on sustainable social change via 2 pioneering self-founded initiatives; Across the Divide (ATD) [est. 1996] and World Extreme Medicine (WEM) [est. 2002]. These organisations act as faciliatory platforms for mass participation in worldwide adventure challenge expeditions (ATD) and remote medical training courses (WEM). ATD has facilitated raising £103M/$132M for a multitude of UK charities, while WEM has become a globally recognised sub-medical discipline for which Mark received the inaugural Honorary Associate Professorship of Extreme Medicine (2019) from the University of Exeter Medical School.

Additionally, Mark has established the world's largest subject matter conference in the field of Extreme Medicine (WEM Conference). Launched the world's first MSc Extreme Medicine; and been recognised as 'one of 50 people changing the world, that the world needs to know about' by the prestigious Explorer's Club of New York.

Mark is an honorary Aquanaut, a feat fewer people have achieved than have summited Everest; and secured high-profile partnerships with members of NASA, UK Special Forces, Paramount/Viacom, ICRC, MSF and the World Health Organisation.

Despite commitments as CEO of both organisations, Mark continues to embrace his passion for adventure and travel by undertaking significant expeditions overseas. In 2018 Mark was one of 3 expeditioners who were the first people outside of the local indigenous population to transverse the ancient trade route of Ethiopia's Amhara tribe, stretching 120 km across varying terrain at very high altitude, without in-country rescue facilities. Previously, Mark recorded a first complete descent of the Kuiseb River in the Namib Desert, part of a series of expeditions over several years, which took him across all five continents at least four times.