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Policy for awarding Honorary Doctorates

(Approved by the LTH board on 11 April 2018, reg. no STYR 2018/225)
Through honorary doctorates, the Lund University Faculty of Engineering (LTH) wants to strengthen the image of LTH as a prominent, modern and professional higher education institution that creates – for the benefit of the world. An honorary doctorate at LTH is proof of great appreciation, and awarded to those who through significant efforts have contributed to development, renewal or visibility in areas linked to the faculty’s activities.

Honorary doctors are to be regarded as future ambassadors of LTH and the doctorates shall be awarded in accordance with LTH’s values and driven by the societal challenges that the faculty tries to meet through its activities. Honorary doctors at LTH are distinguished for having made a prominent professional contribution of significance to LTH’s activities, characterised by one or more of the following:

  • research excellence
  • excellence in education,
  • significant contributions to industry and/or society.

When assessing nominations, emphasis will be placed on:

  • the link to LTH’s activities via previous or ongoing collaborations or external engagement, or
  • whether the nominee is deemed able to strengthen LTH through future collaborations or external engagement.

Over time the honorary doctors should reflect the breadth of LTH’s activities and call attention to its specialist areas. A gender perspective and diversity must be taken into account and the honorary doctors must come from different parts of society. Only in exceptional cases are more than three honorary doctors appointed per year. A selection process is initiated only when at least seven nominations of qualified candidates have been received, of which at least three are of the under-represented gender. Nominations that are broadly supported at LTH are prioritised.

Honorary doctors at LTH are appointed by the LTH board, following a proposal from the dean of LTH. An honorary doctor at LTH can not have been awarded a PhD by LTH or be an LTH employee, have legal influence over LTH, or be an honorary doctor at another institute of technology or faculty of engineering in Sweden. Nominations for honorary doctors are confidential until a decision has been made and the person in question has been notified.

Page Manager: yens.wahlgren@lth.lu.se | 2020-12-30