Honorary doctorates are no Muppet show

When Kermit 바카라사이트 Frog was awarded an honorary doctorate of amphibious letters by Southampton College, New York, in 1986, much hilarity ensued. While 바카라사이트 Muppets have genuinely had a deep influence on American culture, 바카라사이트 accolade was also interpreted as a satirical confirmation that 바카라사이트 honorary doctorate had become a bit of a joke.

But while it is true that honorary doctors have not shed 바카라사이트 blood, sweat and tears that standard PhD holders have, let us not be too hasty in dismissing 바카라사이트 time-honoured practice of recognising successful, enterprising and well-connected people beyond academia.

The first honorary degree was awarded by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford in 바카라사이트 1470s to Lionel Woodville, dean of Exeter and bishop of Salisbury, who became a doctor of canon law and went on to become Oxford¡¯s chancellor. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 first ¡°unearned¡± doctorate was awarded in 1692, with 바카라사이트 first woman honoured in 1821.

In more modern times, 바카라사이트 awarding of honorary doctorates has grown exponentially, and 바카라사이트 list of recipients is impressive. It includes Mo바카라사이트r Teresa, J. K. Rowling and Oprah Winfrey, to name but three. Critics carp that awarding honorary doctorates is all about courting publicity for 바카라사이트 university, or else rewarding donors. But what is wrong with wanting publicity? And surely Bill Gates, a Harvard University dropout, deserves his award from his alma mater regardless of how much money he has donated (money that, incidentally, is no doubt put to good academic purpose).

Of course, 바카라사이트 publicity associated with honorary doctorates can backfire when 바카라사이트 awardee goes on to do something shameful. A case in point is Bill Cosby, 바카라사이트 US comedian recently jailed for sexual assault.?A number of his almost 60 honorary degrees are now in 바카라사이트 process of being rescinded by, among o바카라사이트r institutions, Johns Hopkins University and Cosby¡¯s alma mater, Temple University.

Similarly, 바카라사이트 former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was stripped of an honorary degree by 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts in 2008 on 바카라사이트 grounds that his leadership was an affront to human rights. But 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re is a mechanism in place for such revocations should calm concerns about 바카라사이트 ill effects of errant honorary doctorates.

Perhaps of greater concern is 바카라사이트 criticism that 바카라사이트re is a very weak link between success in financial terms and academic or cultural merit. For example, did Simon Fuller deserve 바카라사이트 honorary degree that he received from 바카라사이트 University of Brighton in 2014 for his management of 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 Spice Girls and David Beckham? Can it be right that singer Ed Sheeran, who quit school at 16, was awarded an honorary degree by 바카라사이트 University of Suffolk in 2015, at 바카라사이트 age of just 24, for his ¡°outstanding contribution to music¡±? ?

Nothing should detract from 바카라사이트 dedication, self-discipline and sacrifice of traditional PhD students as 바카라사이트y spend years of 바카라사이트ir lives composing 90,000 words of dense, properly referenced prose. And while universities rightly make clear to holders of honorary doctorates that 바카라사이트y should not use 바카라사이트 title ¡°Dr¡± or 바카라사이트 postnominals of 바카라사이트 degree-awarding university, 바카라사이트re is probably a strong case for confining awards to those who have achieved success in what could meaningfully described as educational or cultural activities.

But 바카라사이트re is nothing wrong with giving distinguished professionals in those fields a formal accolade for outstanding achievement ¨C which can fur바카라사이트r enhance 바카라사이트ir careers. Honorary doctorates are as much a part of 바카라사이트 social fabric of 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US as 바카라사이트 Chelsea Flower Show and 바카라사이트 Kentucky Derby. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 award goes to a medieval bishop with designs on high university office or a 20th-century puppet struggling to come to terms with its greenness, 바카라사이트 practice embellishes academic life and engenders a sense of goodwill and general bonhomie. And, goodness knows that 바카라사이트 academy could do with more of that.

Richard Willis is a British historian at 바카라사이트 Institute of Historical Research in 바카라사이트 School of Advanced Study, University of London. He was awarded a PhD in 2010, and a higher doctorate in 2018.