Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, has received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC).

Jill received the degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of her 29-year career working on animal welfare issues. She was awarded the honour at the postgraduate graduation ceremony on Saturday 15 November, joining 323 other students receiving their degrees this year.

Born in Nottingham, UK, Jill is a leading expert on the bear bile industry, having campaigned against it since 1993. Bear bile farming involves keeping bears, often Asiatic black bears or moon bears, in captivity to harvest their bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder.

A speech on the topic that she gave to UNNC students last year so inspired the student band Skyline, that they wrote and recorded a song to raise awareness of the practice, which became a hit on the Chinese video site Youku.

In 1998, Jill founded Animals Asia, an organisation that is devoted to ending the practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam, working to bring about long-term change.

The organisation has since grown into a respected international NGO with award-winning bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam with over 500 rescued bears.

Jill said: “This is a tremendous honour. Hong Kong has been my home since the eighties and mainland China has been where so much of my work has been based. But Nottingham was where I born and where I realised, at a young age, that animals meant everything to me. It seems incredible to receive this degree from Nottingham University decades later – in China - and feels like we’ve been on a parallel journey.

“I’m accepting this degree on behalf of all animal lovers in Asia. Animal cruelty does exist in Asia – as it does, sadly, everywhere. We have a duty also to communicate the issues, and work in collaboration with local groups everywhere towards long lasting solutions – not only for whole species but, just as importantly, for individual animals too. The welfare movement is growing at an incredible pace and the change it inspires is more tangible each year. I love the progress we’re not just seeing, but are part of too – and especially when it sees such passion from the teachers and students here today at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China.

“The difference between cruelty and kindness to animals is education – so it’s fitting we can honour all animal lovers in China, today, and encourage more support for animal welfare and conservation together.”

Dr Odette Paramor, from UNNC’s School of Geographical Sciences, spoke at Jill’s graduation ceremony. She said:

“Jill’s achievements in the area of animal welfare in Asia are extraordinary. She operates at both a political and grassroots level to campaign and raise public awareness of animal welfare and has established award-winning bear sanctuaries, animal therapy programmes and animal welfare training for zoos across Asia.

“She has already been an inspiration to students here at UNNC and I hope we can continue to work with her.”

As part of her visit to the University, Jill also gave a public lecture on bear bile farming, which was part of the 10 year anniversary public lecture series.

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