Honorary doctorates for Professor Koen Lenaerts and Professor Alison Wylie

Erasmus University Rotterdam annually awards honorary doctorates to natural persons on account of their outstanding earnings in sciences practiced at EUR. The honorary doctorates are traditionally awarded during the Dies Natalis.

Koen Lenaerts

Koen Lenaerts is a prominent Belgian jurist and legal scholar who currently serves as the President of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), a position he has held since 2015. Lenaerts is known and widely praised for his sharp analytical mind and encyclopedic knowledge that goes far beyond EU law. His intellectual curiosity becomes evident from his numerous leading academic publications on a wide range of subjects, in which he also regularly bridges the gap between theory and legal practice. Fabian Amtenbrink, Professor of European Union Law at Erasmus School of Law, will act as his honorary promotor.

Harriët Schelhaas, Dean of Erasmus School of Law, looks forward to welcoming Koen Lenaerts as a member of the Erasmus University's academic community: "Conferring an honorary doctorate degree on judge Lenaerts pays tribute to the exceptional contributions that he has made in his field. His work inspires us all and reflects the values ​​of Erasmus School of Law: dedication, innovation and a deep-rooted pursuit of knowledge and progress. By awarding this honorary doctorate, Erasmus University Rotterdam and especially Erasmus School of Law also stress the importance of linking legal theory and legal practice."

Alison Wylie 

Alison Wylie is a professor at the University of British Columbia. She specialises in the philosophy of the social and historical sciences. Wylie raises a number of important ethical issues in the social sciences regarding epistemic injustice. 

Her work is case-based; she focuses on archaeological research, particularly on questions of evidential reasoning and ideals of objectivity. Wylie’s views underline what it means to be a ‘civic university': accountable to the diverse communities affected by research. Wylie will receive the honorary doctorate from honorary promoter Dr Conrad Heilmann, associate professor at Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil).

Dies Natalis

Erasmus University Rotterdam is committed to meeting the challenges of complex transitions towards a sustainable, peaceful and just world in an inclusive and engaged way. To make the difficult trade-offs that inevitably arise as we work towards a better world, our scholars, students and staff use the Erasmian values as a compass. It is for this reason that the 111th anniversary of our university is dedicated to ‘Engaging Minds, Advancing Science’.

How do we ensure that as many people as possible benefit from these transitions and no one is left behind? What is needed to retrieve knowledge and ideas from all corners of society? Answers to these questions and more will be sought during the ceremony.