The Latin phrase honoris causa can be translated as "for honor." The expression is used to refer to the doctorate that is awarded with the intention of recognizing extraordinary merit .
An honorary doctorate , therefore, is an individual who has been honored by a university for his or her achievements. This honorary title is not linked to academic studies: the honorary doctor does not have to pursue a degree or obtain a degree to achieve the distinction.
Generally, an honorary doctor enjoys the same privileges and treatment as an academic doctor . Scientists, writers, artists and other personalities who stand out for their virtues usually receive this honor.
Although each university has a procedure to distinguish a person with honorary recognition, the usual thing is that in that university the individual in question has to be made a candidate with a large majority or by the Rector.
Afterwards, this candidacy will be presented to the Doctorate Commissioner along with a set of documents that determine the reasons for carrying out this recognition as well as the merits that the individual has achieved to be able to have it. That commissioner will carry out an in-depth study of the documentation and then prepare a report ratifying the proposal or rejecting it.
If you agree with the investiture, the initiative will be raised to the governing council of the university in question to be able to carry it out.
The investiture of the honorary doctor is a ceremony that includes several steps. The honoree is given items such as gloves , a ring , a cap and a book while an authority from the university in question makes the appointment.
The Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa is one of the intellectuals who has the greatest number of honorary doctorates. The author of "La fiesta del Chivo" was awarded an honorary doctorate by the universities of Lima , Harvard , Oxford , Málaga , Granada , La Sorbona and Castilla-La Mancha , among others.
There are numerous singers who have received the Honoris Causa mention, for example. And among them we can highlight the following:
-English singer Ed Sheran (1991) was awarded by Suffolk Ipswich Campus University for his contribution to music. He received it in 2015.
-The great Aretha Franklin (1942 – 2018), American soul singer, obtained it from Harvard University.
-The rapper and composer Kanye West (1997) received it from the Chicago School of the Arts where he studied.
-The Spanish singer Julio Iglesias (1943) was recognized with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Berklee College of Music in Boston because he is a true representative of Latin music. This university also awarded the same title to the Spanish singer and composer Alejandro Sanz (1968) for his contribution to contemporary music.