Honorary Degrees at the University of Rennes

Created in 1918, the title of Honorary Degree is one of the most prestigious distinctions awarded by French universities to honour "personalities of foreign nationality for eminent services rendered to science, literature or the arts, to France or to the university".

Before becoming the University of Rennes in January 2023, the Université de Rennes 1 had resumed this tradition in 1973. To date, some 78 foreign researchers have been awarded this honour. They bear witness to the constant concern for the internationalisation of research and teaching as well as to the will to develop a high level of education.

A ceremony designed as an encounter between prestigious scientists and new PhD graduates

Each year, the university's PhD graduates are honoured during the same ceremony. Conceived as an exemplary encounter between PhD graduates at the beginning of their careers and prestigious scientists of exceptional international renown, since 2012, the ceremony has combined the award of Honorary Degree and the presentation of diplomas to new PhD graduates from the four doctoral schools of the University of Rennes.

To reflect the richness of these profiles and their work, the Fondation publishes a booklet presenting all the theses defended between 1 January and 31 December. The Fondation's thesis awards are also given the winners during the ceremony.

 

The Honoris Causa doctors of the University of Rennes/Université de Rennes 1

2015

2014

  • Prof. Axel Honneth (Germany)
  • Prof. Guy Poirier (Quebec)
  • Prof. Alison J. Downard (New-Zealand)

2013

  • Prof. Vivian Wing-Wah Yam (China)
  • Prof. Francine Lafontaine (US)
  • Prof. Hélène Esnault (Germany)

2012

  • Prof. Gregor Von Bochmann (Canada)
  • Prof. Bernard Fleischmann (Germany)
  • Prof. John Frederick Dewey (US)

2010

  • Prof. Bernard Remiche (Belgium)
  • Prof. Joachim Wolf (Germany)
  • Prof. Hong Yi (China)

2009

  • Prof. Alex Hansen (Norway)
  • Prof. Dan Popescu (Romania)
  • Prof. Richard R. Schrock (US) Nobel Prize in Chemistry

2008

  • Prof. Goverdhan Mehta (India)

2007

  • Prof. Vidar Thomée (Sweden)
  • Prof. Hillel Furstenberg (Israel)

2005

  • Prof. Jean-Charles Chebat (Canada)
  • Prof. Alan S. Willsky (US)
  • Prof. David Harel (Israel)
  • Prof. Luis A. Oro (Spain)
  • Prof. Michael Ian Bruce (Australia)
  • Prof. Stuart John Anderson (Australia)

2003

  • Prof. Wolfgang A. Herrmann (Germany)
  • Prof. Tilo Schabert (Germany)
  • Prof. Leslie Lamport (US)
  • Prof. Wolfgang-Martin Boerner (US)

2002

  • Prof. Arndt Simon (Germany)

2001

  • Prof. James T. Jenkins (US)

2000

  • Prof. Glyn Garfield Jamieson (Australia)
  • Prof. Rudolf Artur Pfeiffer (Germany)
  • Prof. Wolf Peter Fehlhammer (Germany)
  • Prof. Maurice Brookhart (US)
  • Prof. Ryoji Noyori (Japan) Nobel Prize in Chemistry

1999

  • Prof. Czeslaw J. Lewa (Poland)
  • Prof. Sierd Cloetingh (Netherlands)

1998

  • Prof. Lester Packer (US)
  • Prof. Gerald Wasserburg (US)
  • Prof. Henning Lund (Denmark)
  • Prof. Shun-Ichi Murahashi (Japan)

1997

  • Prof. David May (Canada)

1996

  • Prof. Alfred Hüller (Germany)

1993

  • Prof. Heindirk tom Dieck (Germany)
  • Prof. Gilbert Ghex (US)
  • Prof. Léon Dabin (Belgium)

1992

  • Prof. Per-Erik Werner (Sweden)
  • Prof. Helmut Oel (Germany)
  • Prof. Aloysio Janner (Netherlands)
  • Prof. Albert Cotton (US)

1991

  • Prof. Brian Randell (UK)

1990

  • Prof. Oystein Fischer (Switzerland)

1989

  • Prof. Edmund Chao (US)

1988

  • Prof. Józef Rohleder (Poland)
  • Dr. Thomas E. Starzl (US)

1987

  • Prof. Roald Hoffmann (US) Nobel Prize in Chemistry