Director: Daniel C. Levy

Court Voids Private University Honorary Degrees

PROPHE Summary (by Hirosuke Honda):

An Austrian court has declared void honorary doctorates issued by a private university, finding that Austrian law allows private institutions to grant degrees only to their own students. Among the honorary recipients was California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For the full story, see Agence France Presse, June 30, 2006, "Schwarzenegger honorary doctorate invalid, says court"
http://www.afp.com/english/home/

PROPHE Observation (by Daniel C. Levy):

It is difficult to say much based on such a short news report, but it appears that there is a clash between private university's autonomy and government authorization. The importance of voiding the honorary degrees would seem to be more symbolic than practical. The scope of private universities in much of Western Europe remains restricted.