The formalities of nomination and approval of honorary doctorates at UCPH.
Honorary doctorates
About Honorary Doctorates
Honorary doctorates are the highest academic accolade that the University confers without the recipient first having defended a doctoral thesis in Denmark.
The vast majority of honorary doctorates are conferred on non-Danish scientists who, as visiting teachers or through international research collaboration, have played a significant role in research and researcher training at the University of Copenhagen.
Researchers and research environments at the University of Copenhagen nominate candidates for honorary doctorates. The academic councils of the faculties concerned then recommend selected nominees to the Rector for final approval.
To qualify for consideration, it is a prerequisite that the individual concerned has conducted extensive and significant research of high international quality.
Honorary doctorates in 2026
At the Annual Commemoration on 13 November 2026, the University of Copenhagen conferred honorary doctorates on:
Professor
Dapo Akande
Faculty of Law
University of Oxford
United Kingdom
Law
Professor
Roberto Caranta
Department of Law
University of Turin
Italy
Law
Professor
Marlene Behrmann
Department of Opthalmology
University of Pittsburgh
USA
Psychology
Professor
Janet Currie
Department of Economics
Yale University
USA
Economics
Professor
Frank Caruso
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Melbourne
Australia
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Professor
Fiona Mary Gribble
Institute of Metabolic Science
University of Cambridge
UK
Medicine