Honorary Doctorates

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the proposal of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka in the field of social sciences and humanities, for significant contributions in the fields of law and ancient and medieval history, primarily Roman and Byzantine history and particularly the history of the Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia during the era of national rulers and elements of statehood of the Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia in the later period, as well as fundamental explanations of the most important Croatian legal and historical sources.

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the proposal of the former Faculty of Pedagogy in Rijeka (today’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) in the field of social sciences and humanities, for significant contributions in the field of Croatian linguistics, in particular dialectological, linguistic historical and orthographic findings relating to the past 500 years. Through many years of self-sacrificing effort and study, he has significantly contributed to the knowledge crucial to the Croatian people.

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the proposal of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka, in the field of humanities, sub-field literary science, for his research on Croatian literary history of the 19th and 20th century, overall contribution to Croatian philological thought and in particular his contribution to the founding of the Department of Croatian Language and Literature at the University of Rijeka. His work has significantly contributed to essential findings on Croatian culture and literary history.

Professor George F. Smoot, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Berkeley, California; Director of the Berkeley Center For Cosmological Physics and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006, was awarded an honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Rector and academician Daniel Rukavina, in the field of natural sciences, field of physics, for the discovery of anisotropy of cosmological microwave background radiation, as well as for the popularization of fundamental scientific achievements, thus bringing science closer to the general public and making a lasting contribution to humanity.

Professor Ulrich Koszinowski, Director of the Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Head of the Department of Virology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, was awarded an honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Faculty of Medicine, in accordance with the report, in the field of biomedicine and health, for outstanding contribution to the understanding of biology and immune surveillance of the herpesvirus and contribution to the development of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka through staff education, encouraging scientific cooperation and establishing new laboratories.

The full professor at Harbin Institute of Technology and Henan Polytechnic University in China was awarded an honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Faculty of Engineering, in the field of technical sciences, for outstanding contribution to world science in engineering and technology, particularly in developing new materials and processing technologies, physical and numerical simulations of the material processing, as well as for the exceptional promotion of Croatian science in the field of engineering and technology, and especially for the promotion of the University of Rijeka.

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić Samaržija, Ph.D., in the field of biomedicine and health, for a special contribution of lasting importance to the development of higher education institutions (Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka and other Croatian universities) and scientific-teaching staff, scientific and health system in the Republic of Croatia and significant and lasting contribution to Croatian and world science.

The Croatian writer, critic, and phenomenologist of culture was awarded an honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for special contribution to the development of cultural studies in the Republic of Croatia.

The distinguished scientist and professor of economics, psychology, and neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, was awarded an honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić Samaržija, Ph.D., for overall contribution and promotion of the University of Rijeka, and in particular as a member of the International Scientific Council of the University.

The (former) Rector of Maastricht University, first President of YUFE Alliance, clinical pharmacologist, and one of the world leaders in academic health promotion dedicated to improving health and well-being globally, was awarded the honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić Samaržija, Ph.D., for his overall contribution and promotion of the University of Rijeka, and great help and support in making the University of Rijeka a full member of the YUFE consortium.

Danica Kragić Jensfelt, professor of computer science at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and one of the leading Swedish roboticists, earned her honorary doctorate in the scientific field of technical sciences at the proposal of the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka, for her exceptional contribution of permanent importance to world science, teaching, economic and public activities, gender equality and inclusion, and popularization of science, as well as for exceptional contribution to the University of Rijeka.

At the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić Samaržija, Ph.D., the honorary doctorate was awarded to Ivan Đikić, professor of medicine, director of the Institute for Biochemistry II (IBC2) in Frankfurt, prominent molecular biologist and one of the most successful Croatian scientists abroad, for his outstanding contribution of permanent importance to world science, scientific education and popularization of science, as well as exceptional contribution to the University of Rijeka.

John A. Hardy, a British neurogeneticist and molecular biologist with a four-decade-long career dedicated to improving the lives of people with dementia, was awarded the honorary doctorate of the University of Rijeka following the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Ph.D., for his outstanding contribution of lasting importance to world science and education, as well as for an exceptional contribution to the University of Rijeka.

Rajko Grlić, the most outstanding Croatian film director and Ohio Eminent Scholar in Film at Ohio University, Athens (USA), was awarded an honorary doctorate of the University of Rijeka in the scientific field of Art at the proposal of the Rector, Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Ph.D., for his outstanding contributions of lasting significance to Croatian and world art and art education, as well as for an exceptional contribution to the University of Rijeka.