Honorary title (academic)

Image:Irwin Jacobs.jpg received an Honorary Distinguished Chair Professorship from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan in 2013]]

Image:Sir-john-meurig-thomas rare-book-room.jpg received an Honorary Distinguished Professorship from Osaka Prefecture University, Japan in 2006{{cite web|url=https://www.osakafu-u.ac.jp/en/info/overview/prof_dh/|title=OPU Distinguished Honorary Professor Awardees list}}]]

In the UK, this is the highest title to be awarded to individuals whom the university wish to appoint, honor, and

to work with. These individuals are not university staff nor employees. An external person is usually recommended by an internal university academic staff, and recommended for approval by the head of department, for which the documents are then forwarded to faculty dean, vice president and president (or deputy vice chancellor) for approval.

Examples of UK universities who award honorary professorships are University of Essex, University of Manchester,{{cite web|url=https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=9798|title=University of Manchester Honorary Appointments}}

Brunel University,{{cite web|url=https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/documents/pdf/Policy-and-Procedure-for-Honorary-and-Visiting-appointments-v1.pdf|title=Brunel University Honorary Appointments Policy & Procedures}} Middlesex University, University of Bristol,{{cite web|url=https://www.bristol.ac.uk/hr/policies/how-engage-honorary-associate.html|title=How to Engage Honorary Academics and Associates, University of Bristol}} Leicester University,{{cite web|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/colleges/medbiopsych/people/honorary-title-holders/honorary-senior-lecturer|title=Honorary Titles Criteria, University of Leicester}} University of Exeter,{{cite web|url=https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/employment/honorary/|title=Honorary appointments, Exeter University}} etc.

Procedures for evaluation and approval are overseen by university personnel or registrar office. Appointment is made formally by an appointment letter, for a fixed period of time (usually three years) and renewal is possible.

Honorary professors are expected to contribute to the department of the university through giving seminars and joint research with university staffs. Requirements vary from university to university but contributions are expected from the appointee.

In Taiwan, more titles are used to recognize different levels of individuals. They are (in descending order of hierarchy):

• Honorary Distinguished Chair Professor
• Honorary Chair Professor
• Honorary Distinguished Professor
• Honorary Professor
• Honorary Associate Professor
• Honorary Assistant Professor

In China, top universities like Fudan University, Tsinghua University and Peking University have awarded Honorary Professorships. Recent recipients include Prof. Peter Bruce from Oxford,{{cite web|url=http://pgbgroup.materials.ox.ac.uk/news/15/181/Prof-Peter-Bruce-was-appointed-as-Honorary-Professor-at-Fudan-University-Shanghai-China.html|title=Peter Bruce awarded Honorary Professorship by Fudan University}} Prof. Reinhart Poprawe from Aachen Germany,{{cite web|url=http://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/Die-RWTH/Aktuell/Pressemitteilungen/April/~fnny/Professor-Poprawe-erhaelt-Ehrenprofessur/?lidx=1|title=Reinhart Poprawe Named Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University}} Professor Thomas Sargent{{cite web|url=http://newsen.pku.edu.cn/news_events/news/focus/7414.htm|title=Professor Thomas Sargent awarded Honorary Professor of Peking University, 2018}} and Anwar Ibrahim.{{cite web|url=https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2362102|title=BERNAMA - Anwar Says Tsinghua University's Honorary Professorship Reflects Enduring Malaysia-China Friendship}}

In Australia, Australian Catholic University (ACU),{{cite web|url=https://policies.acu.edu.au/hr/recruitment_and_selection/honorary_academic_titles|title=Honorary Professorial and Academic Titles}} University of Queensland,{{cite web|url=https://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/5.20.15-honorary-and-adjunct-title-holders|title=5.20.15 Honorary and Adjunct Title Holders - Policies and Procedures Library - the University of Queensland, Australia}} RMIT,{{cite web|url=https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/governance-and-management/policies/academic-appointments-policy|title=Honorary and Visiting Academic Appointments Policy, RMIT University}} University of Western Australia,{{cite web|url=http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/policies/policies/titles/honorary|title=University Policy on Honorary Appointments : Human Resources |website=The University of Western Australia |date=16 June 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807155035/http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/policies/policies/titles/honorary |archive-date= 2020-08-07 }} University of Wollongong,{{cite web|url=https://documents.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058705.html|title=Appointment of Visiting and Honorary Academics Policy |website= University of Wollongong |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022054849/https://documents.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058705.html |archive-date=2020-10-22 }} University of Canberra{{cite web|url=http://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/honorary-appointments|title=Honorary Appointments |website= University of Canberra |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121164356/http://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/honorary-appointments |archive-date= 2021-01-21}} and Macquarie University{{cite web|url=https://staff.mq.edu.au/support/people-management/honorary-academic-titles|title=Honorary academic titles |website=Macquarie University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201135520/https://staff.mq.edu.au/support/people-management/honorary-academic-titles |archive-date= 2023-12-01}} all allow the appointment of honorary professors.

In New Zealand, University of Otago,{{cite web|url=https://www.otago.ac.nz/humanresources/training/academic-staff/academic-titles/otago069302.html|title=Honorary Titles |website= University of Otago, New Zealand |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401104115/https://www.otago.ac.nz/humanresources/training/academic-staff/academic-titles/otago069302.html |archive-date= 2023-04-01}} University of Waikato, and University of Auckland{{cite web|url=https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/the-university/how-university-works/policy-and-administration/human-resources1/recruitment--appointment-and-induction/honorary-and-adjunct-appointment-policy-and-procedures-.html|title=Honorary and Adjunct Appointment Policy and Procedures |website= University of Auckland}} also have provisions for the appointment of honorary professors. Recently, Sir Richard Taylor was appointed honorary professor at Massey University.{{Cite web |date=5 June 2018 |title=Sir Richard Taylor appointed honorary professor |url=https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=8DD75824-406A-42AC-ABA3-8D323ACC95E9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905184552/https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/sir-richard-taylor-appointed-honorary-professor/ |archive-date=2024-09-05 |website=Massey University}} Prof. Mike Murphy of the Mitochondrial Biology Unit at University of Cambridge was appointed to honorary professor at University of Otago in 2016.{{Cite web |last=Peck |first=Penny |date=Mar 31, 2016 |title=Mike Murphy appointed Honorary Research Professor, Otago |url=http://www.mrc-mbu.cam.ac.uk/news/2565/mike-murphy-appointed-honorary-research-professor-otago |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422205916/http://www.mrc-mbu.cam.ac.uk/news/2565/mike-murphy-appointed-honorary-research-professor-otago |archive-date=2021-04-22 |website=MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit}}

In Denmark, the honorary professor title is conferred in recognition of a person's special contribution to the subject area associated with faculty's activities. Honorary professors are expected to:

• participate in research partnerships
• give lectures
• participate in PhD co-supervision or PhD examination committee

Although honorary professors are not paid a salary, the following expenses are usually compensated:

• travel and accommodation during visits to university
• daily expenses such as cost of meals
• a lecture fee

Aarhus University is an example university in Denmark that confers honorary professorship.{{Cite web|url=Characterizing Domestic Consumption Behavior Based on Survey and Smart Meter Data: a Data Mining Approach|title=Conferment of the title of honorary professor / associate professor, Aarhus University, Denmark.}}

Persons of lower prestige and academic achievements are appointed at ranks other than professor. Honorary readers are viewed higher than honorary senior lecturer and honorary lecturer. A person can be promoted to the next higher honorary rank on recommendation by the internal university staff and department. Once approved at the university level, the title is then changed.

In certain UK universities, the title of Honorary Fellow is awarded to people from industry, whom the university wish to recognize and collaborate with. For example, the London School of Economics, Imperial College London,{{cite web|url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/human-resources/procedures/recruiting-staff/academic-appointments-and-honorary-associations/|title=Academic appointments and honorary associations, Imperial College London}} University College London and Queen Mary University of London all have provisions for the award of honorary fellowships. The University of Hong Kong also awards Honorary Fellow and a recent award was made to Harry Shum from Microsoft Corporation.{{cite web|url=https://www4.hku.hk/honfellows/honorary-university-fellows/dr-harry-heung-yeung-shum|title=Dr. Harry Shum - 2017 Honorary University Fellow}}

Various professional bodies, such as the Royal Institute of British Architects and IET UK also have honorary fellowships.{{cite web|url=http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/News/RIBANews/News/2009/RIBAannounces12HonoraryFellowships.aspx|date=6 October 2009|title=RIBA announces 12 Honorary Fellowships|publisher=architecture.com|access-date=15 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181957/http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/News/RIBANews/News/2009/RIBAannounces12HonoraryFellowships.aspx|archive-date=16 April 2014}}

This is often confused with honorary academic titles. A visiting professor or reader or senior lecturer or lecturer is someone who has taken time off their primary institution of employment to visit and collaborate with staff from another university. Hence, the visiting appointment is usually for a short period of time, ranging from 3 months up to 1 year. This is not the same as an honorary appointment held in UK universities.

However, in Germany, visiting lecturers and private lecturers can be conferred the titles of "Honorarprofessor" or "Außerplanmäßiger Professor" respectively after several semesters of successful teaching.

In addition to the honor and recognition, an honorary title sometimes permits non-employees to enjoy the privileges available to regular staff members, such as access to facilities and libraries, temporary stay in university housing, entitlement to a university business card, an email account, and to receive a parking permit.

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