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 2025
At the Annual Commemoration on 14 November 2025, the University of Copenhagen conferred honorary doctorates on:
Professor
Irene Dingel
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
and The Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz
Germany
Theology
Professor
Edward Kirumira
Stellenbosch University
South Africa
Sociology
Professor
Sun Sun Lim
Singapore Management University
Singapore
Philosophy
Professor
Monique Scheer
University of Tübingen
Germany
Philosophy
Professor
Egbert Willem Meijer
Eindhoven University of Technology
The Netherlands
Science
Professor
Ulrike Tillmann
University of Oxford and University of Cambridge
UK
Science