Virologist Marc Van Ranst will be awarded an honorary doctorate by Radboud University in the Netherlands on 17 October, together with six other people.
The university is celebrating its centenary this year. For this occasion, each of its seven faculties will honour a specialist of its choice.
“The future honorary doctors have each contributed in their own way to raising their field of excellence to a higher level and thus making the world a better place,” said the institution, which is one of the top universities in the Netherlands. “They are therefore an example to others, both within and outside their field.”
Marc Van Ranst is being rewarded for his role during the pandemic. The Belgian virologist “deserves to be honoured for his courageous role in providing science-based advice and opinions during the Coronavirus crisis,” the university said. “This makes him an important example of a committed scientist having a significant impact. He is a leading figure in science.”
The other laureates include political philosopher and Harvard professor Michael Sandel, the director of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, Fabiola Gianotti, a particle physics icon, and Sandra Graham, an expert in education and diversity.
