Dr Arnab Basu MBE receives Honorary Doctorate of Science from Northumbria University

Dr Arnab Basu MBE has today received an Honorary Degree from Northumbria University, Newcastle, for his contribution to engineering and business.

Dr Basu was born in 1973 in Calcutta, India, and in 1994 graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences before embarking on the beginning of his career in his family electronic materials and soldering fluxes business.

Arriving in the UK in 1996, Dr Basu studied at Northumbria University, where he graduated with a first class honours degree in Engineering.He then went on to complete a PhD in Physics at Durham University, receiving the Russell Grant prize for the best thesis in solid state physics.

Dr Basu is the founding CEO of Kromek Group plc, a leading developer of high performance radiation detection technologies, headquartered at NETPark in Sedgefield, with operations in the UK, and the USA. He has raised multiple rounds of financing from private equity and public markets and led the acquisition of the US businesses and UK expansion, growing the company from just two employees in 2003 to over 110 in 2016.

A prominent figure within the business community, he has also been awarded Ernst and Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year (2009) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Member of the Institute of Engineering Technology. In January 2014, he received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours for services to regional development and international trade and is Patron of St Margaret’s Centre, Durham.

Speaking of his Honorary Degree, Dr Basu said: “It is a privilege and honour to receive this Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from Northumbria University; one which I'm delighted to accept, with great pride. I spent three very enjoyable and inspirational years in this university, which helped shape my career. ”

Dr Basu is currently the chair of the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN), Business Durham and the International Advisory Board of Newcastle University Business School. He has maintained his connection with Northumbria University since graduating, speaking at events, contributing to the University’s webpages, prospectuses and congregation booklets.