A DRAGON has become the latest recipient of an honorary degree at York St John University.

James Caan, best known as one of the investors on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, will become an honorary doctor of business administration, along with two other exceptional individuals and thousands of students at a ceremony next month.

Mr Caan received no formal business education when he was young, but has established an international recruitment and head-hunting empire and private equity investment company.

He also leads the Ethnic Minority Business Task Force and contributes to the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Team.

Mr Caan will receive his award in acknowledgement of his entrepreneurial success, and his commitment to charity, including education and development of talent and setting up The James Caan Foundation, which supports the education of disadvantaged children in Pakistan and the UK.

Also honoured this year is Valerie Taylor OBE, a physiotherapist and founder of a rehabilitation centre for the poor in Bangladesh, who will be given an honorary doctorate in health sciences.

The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) was founded by Valerie in 1979 and now welcomes volunteers from around the world, including occupational therapy students from York St John University.

The third honorary graduate is Janakiraman Ramachandran, chancellor of AMET University in Chennai, India, which he founded in 1993 with 14 students, and which now has 1,500 students.

In 1976, he founded the NAESEY project, which provides free training courses in South India to help people earn a regular income, and has helped 1.5 million people get out of poverty and into employment.

Mr Ramachandran will be awarded an honorary degree in recognition of his contribution to education and social development in India.

The honorary degrees will be presented at graduation ceremonies at York Minster on Thursday and Friday, November 18 and 19.