By awarding ULB honorary doctorates (Doctor Honoris Causa or DHC), the University upholds a long tradition of recognising individuals from Belgium and abroad whose ideas, achievements or actions in science, art or politics have made a lasting impact on their time.

In 2021

Svetlana Alexievich: Belarusian Investigative Journalist, Historian and Writer

On 3 May 2021, during Difference Day, organised to mark World Press Freedom Day, the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) jointly awarded ULB honorary doctorates to Svetlana Alexievich. This ULB Doctor Honoris Causa (ULB DHC) represents one of the highest forms of ULB academic honours, celebrating her courage, integrity and commitment to truth.

By awarding honorary degrees ULB, the University continues its tradition of ULB recognition of excellence and the granting of ULB honorary awards to individuals whose work transcends national boundaries. Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian investigative journalist, historian and writer, is widely recognised for giving a voice to citizens and the repressed opposition in her country. Her fearless pursuit of facts and hidden histories, often at risk to her life, earned her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2015 and placed her among the most distinguished ULB DHC recipients.

Alexievich’s work dismantles myths and exposes uncomfortable truths, often clashing with official narratives. She faced censorship and dismissal as a journalist in the Soviet Union, and later her writing was banned in Belarus, forcing her into exile in Paris and Berlin. Despite these challenges, she returned to Belarus in 2011, becoming a key figure of the democratic opposition.

In August 2020, she actively participated in demonstrations against the fraudulent elections orchestrated by President Lukashenko. Speaking on an independent radio station, she urged him to resign, warning of the danger of civil war. She also played a leading role in the Coordination Council, which united the opposition forces. When the Council’s members were arrested, expelled or disappeared, she remained the only one free, her international reputation likely protecting her. Nevertheless, she faced threats and eventually left for Germany in September 2020 under diplomatic protection, while expressing her determination to return to Belarus.

Through the awarding of ULB honorary doctorates, the University reaffirms its mission to recognise individuals whose intellectual and moral courage embody freedom of thought and the defence of democratic values.

Aude Merlin's speech


In 2020

Koenraad Tinel: Sculptor and Artist, and Simon Gronowski: Lawyer at the Brussels Bar and Jazz Pianist

On 22 September 2020, the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel jointly awarded the insignia of ULB Doctor Honoris Causa to two remarkable figures of history: Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel. This joint ceremony, held on the Etterbeek campus of the VUB to mark the start of its academic year, celebrated their extraordinary life stories and friendship.

Simon Gronowski, a doctor of law, Brussels lawyer and accomplished jazz pianist, survived deportation to Auschwitz as a child, escaping from the transport train at just 11 years old. Koenraad Tinel, a Belgian sculptor and artist, was raised in a Flemish family that had supported the Nazi regime during the Second World War. Despite their profoundly different backgrounds, the two men went on to become close friends, a bond that symbolises reconciliation, resilience and shared humanity.

Through this award, ULB and VUB paid tribute to their courage, creativity and commitment to peace. Their exceptional friendship stands as a powerful message of hope, happiness and reconciliation, values reflected in the tradition of ULB honorary doctorates, which form part of the University’s wider mission of ULB recognition of excellence and enduring ULB academic honours.
 

Caroline Pauwels: Rector of VUB

On 8 July 2020, the Université libre de Bruxelles awarded an ULB honorary doctorate to Caroline Pauwels, rector of VUB, recognising her lifelong commitment to academic freedom, bilingualism, free speech and European collaboration. A leading figure in ULB academic honours and ULB recognition of excellence, she also worked tirelessly to strengthen the ties between ULB and VUB.

In 2019

On 3 May 2019, ULB and VUB awarded honorary doctorates to Elena Milashina and Rudi Vranckx during Difference Day, an event held in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day.

Elena Milashina

Elena Milashina is a Russian investigative journalist for independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. She is known for her keen investigation skills, and for her articles criticising human rights violations and government corruption. Her work includes an investigative report on the repression of LGBT people in Chechnya and other parts of the North Caucasus (in Russia). 
Speech by Aude Merlin

Rudi Vranckx

Rudi Vranckx is among the Belgian journalists and war correspondents who are the most esteemed by their peers. He owes his fame to his coverage of international conflicts: with a background in history, he strives to provide an objective and human perspective of the factors that drive nations to enter deadly conflicts.

In 2018

  • On 3 May 2018, as part of Difference Day, ULB and VUB decided for the first time to award honorary doctorates jointly to two famous activists who have dedicated their lives to defending these values in their respective countries. By choosing Sihem Bensedrine and Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, the two institutions demonstrated their shared deep attachment to freedom of speech and opinion, civic engagement, and the defence of human rights.

Sihem Bensedrine

A former journalist and champion of human rights from Tunisia, she was imprisoned under the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and is now president of the Truth and Dignity Commission. She returned to Tunisia in 2011 after several years of exile.

Pierre Claver Mbonimpa

A defender of human rights and a pioneer in the fight against torture, he was imprisoned multiple times in his home country of Burundi. He survived an assassination attempt in 2015 and now lives in exile in Belgium.

Ahmet Insel

A Turkish economist, political scientist, journalist, and professor emeritus at Galatasaray University, Ahmet Insel was chosen for the value of his scientific contributions and the intellectual quality of his critical analysis of Turkish society.
 

Siegi Hirsch

This educator, trainer, and therapist is a specialist of transgenerational trauma transmission.
 

Christiane Taubira

She was chosen for her defence of diversity as France’s Minister of Justice under President François Hollande.
 

Ken Loach

This British filmmaker was chosen for his activism, as his work tackles social conflicts and the fight for the rights of workers and illegal immigrants. 

Christian Debuyst

A criminologist and professor emeritus at UCL, Christian Debuyst was chosen for the diversity of disciplines he works with, as well as for his thoughtful positions and his ethical reliance on a diversity of perspectives. - Law and criminology
 

Agnès Van Zanten

A professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, she was chosen for her work on the inequalities and elitism of France’s education system. – Psychology and education
 

Jan Van Impe

Jan Van Impe is a full professor at KULeuven and was chosen for the scientific impact of his research, both fundamental and applied, as well as for its social impact, especially in the areas of public health and cooperation with developing countries. – Polytechnique and Bioengineers
 

Monique Capron

This professor of immunology at the University of Lille is a former chairwoman of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, which has formed a tight partnership with Hôpital Erasme. – Health Cluster
 

DHCs of the University and Its Faculties Since 1973

  • 2005: Fadela Amara, Baltasar Garzon, Pierre Goldschmidt, Alpha Oumar Konaré, Robert Maistriau, Radhia Nasraoui 
  • 2005: Jean-Noël Jeanneney, Philippe Jestaz, Cheryl Elisabeth Praeger, Sébastien Candel, Joël Bockaert, Michael Herzfeld, James L. McClelland, Alan B. Krueger
  • 2004: Philippe Busquin
  • 2002: Hywel Ceri Jones, Domenico Lenarduzzi, Alan Smith, Angélique Verli
  • 2001: Toots Thielemans (ULB-VUB)
  • 2000: Louise Arbour, Nora Irma Morales De Cortinas, Simone Susskind, Wassyla Tamzali, Joaquim Chissano, Pierre Ladevèze
  • 1999: Jean-Didier Vincent, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Jean-Marie Lehn, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji
  • 1998: Claude Allègre
  • 1997: Marc Van Montagu, André Capron
  • 1996: Immanuel Wallerstein, Baron Arthur Haulot, Marek Edelman
  • 1995: Théodore Angelopoulos, André Delvaux, Henri Storck, Andrzej Wajda
  • 1994: Simon Wiesenthal, S.M. Albert II, Pierre Alechinsky
  • 1993: Edgar Morin
  • 1992: Fédérico Mayor, Hubert Reeves
  • 1991: Bronislaw Geremek, Arpad Göncz et Vaclav Havel
  • 1990: Alexandre Dubcek
  • 1989: Doïna Cornéa et Fang Lizhi
  • 1987: Abdou Diouf, Shimon Peres, Sandro Pertini, Mario Soares
  • 1984: Simone Veil, Willy Brandt, Nelson Mandela, Andréi Sakharov, Altiero Spinelli
  • 1979: Maurice Béjart et Paul Delvaux
  • 1973: Salvator Allende

The Ceremony

For this special occasion, the academic authorities wear an outfit consisting of a gown, a cap, and, for the rector, a sash. The gown and cap are inspired by the portrait of Erasmus by Hans Holbein the Younger. 
The University honours this great humanist whose encyclopedic mind and freedom of thought and speech are consistent with the core values of our University of free enquiry.

The ULB gown is black, adorned with fur for the University’s president and rectors (current and honorary), with a distinctive band of colour for the representatives of faculty authorities.

In addition to the gown, the rector wears a sash, which is a distinctive strip of cloth hung over the shoulder. The ULB sash is made of blue silk, with a highlight of white fur, a golden embroidered ‘torch’ seal, and a green and red cord that symbolises the close and trusting relationship between ULB and the city of Brussels.

Each Doctor Honoris Causa receives the ULB sash, a diploma written and read in Latin, and a silver medal bearing the University’s ‘torch’ seal. The encomium that recounts the career and achievements of each laureate is read in French.

The University’s rector, assisted during the ceremony by the pro-rector and the former rector, gives each laureate their DHC insignia. When the formal ceremony is over, they are official members of the university community.
Updated on October 23, 2025