On 29, 30 and 31 March 2022 the University of Antwerp confered honorary degrees to five foreign researchers and two artists from Antwerp.
Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven and Paul Van Hoeydonck
Mrs Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven and Mr Paul Van Hoeydonck received the honorary degree for General Merit for their exceptional role and achievement as visual artists in artistic and cultural terms, with a visionary scope that connects art and science.
Nominator: Rector Herman Van Goethem
Co-nominators: Prof. Geert Lernout, Mr. Ernest Van Buynder, Dr. Johan Pas, dean of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, AP University College.
Helmut Rechberger
Prof. Helmut Rechberger received the honorary degree from the Faculty of Applied Engineering in recognition of his expertise in integrating information theory and classical thermodynamics in the assessment and prediction of the sustainability of material flows and processing technologies.
Nominator: Prof. Pieter Billen
Masterclass: Anthropogenic metabolism seen through the lens of entropy
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Patricia J. Williams
Prof. Patricia J. Williams received the honorary degree from the Faculty of Law in recognition of her expertise in the field of race, gender, literature & law and her outstanding contribution to legal and ethical debates on society, science and technology in the light of individual autonomy and identity.
Nominator: Prof. Esther van Zimmeren
Masterclass The Cupboard of the Emperor: understanding the complex constellations of language, race, governance and law
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Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci
Prof. Uğur Şahin and Prof. Özlem Türeci received the honorary degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
in recognition of their pioneering work in the development and implementation of mRNA technology in immunotherapy and vaccinology and, based on this, in the development of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which has protected the health and lives of millions of people.
Nominator: Prof. Zwi Berneman
Masterclass: The mRNA revolution in medicine
Michèle Lamont
Prof. Michèle Lamont received the honorary degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences in recognition of her expertise in the field of sociology, specifically concerning sociological issues on culture and social inequality, but also because she is an important academic voice in the public debate on themes such as social change, inclusion and diversity.
Nominator: Prof. Gert Verschraegen
Masterclass What we Value: Redefining Worth in the New Gilded Age
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Honorary degree for Stanley Plotkin
On 24 May 2022 the University of Antwerp and the Université libre de Bruxelles jointly opened the European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology in the presence of Professor Stanley Plotkin, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by both universities for his significant contribution to the development of vaccines.
Official conferral of the honorary degree
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