An honorary degree that says more than it seems 

When three Flemish (Belgian) universities decided to award a joint honorary doctorate to Francesca Albanese, the decision was presented as a routine academic gesture. Universities recognize influential voices all the time. Yet this was not a neutral act. It reflects a broader evolution in which universities increasingly see themselves as moral actors in the public sphere. 

Honorary degrees are not mere academic decorations. They signal which ideas and positions an institution chooses to elevate. In that sense, this decision is not incidental. It is expressive — and political. 

From academic restraint to moral positioning 

Universities were once defined by a certain restraint. They were arenas of debate rather than participants in geopolitical conflicts. Their legitimacy rested on their ability to host disagreement without institutional endorsement of one side. 

That restraint has been eroding. Today, universities regularly issue statements on global issues, and more importantly, they celebrate figures whose work carries explicit political implications. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Universities may well have a moral voice. But once they claim that role, they invite a different standard of judgment. 

Moral authority, after all, requires consistency. 

A striking asymmetry 

A glance........

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