Photo: University of Valencia
Sciana Chair Ilona Kickbusch receives honourary doctorate
30 Mar 2023
by Sciana Network
The University of Valencia recognised Ilona for her commitment to global health governance
Sciana Chair Ilona Kickbusch has been conferred an honourary doctorate by the University of Valencia for her commitment to global health governance.
The investiture of Ilona as Doctor "Honoris Causa" took place on 24 March in the auditorium of La Nau in Valencia, Spain.
The investiture was attended by a large representation of the University's Board of Directors, most of the deans of the institution, as well as members and representatives of the different groups of the university community.
Ilona received the honourary doctorate from the University due to her leadership in health promotion and her outstanding role in political science and sociology, all from a feminist perspective.
At the ceremony, Ilona discussed the importance of the digital transformation of health and the convergence between digital health and public health, highlighting the role this has played during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, she reflected on whether we should think of digital transformation as a multidimensional determinant of health, whether the understanding of solidarity in health should be broadened to include data solidarity, and whether we should develop a concept of digital health citizenship.
The Rector of the University of Valencia, Maria Vicenta Mestre, presided over the ceremony. She stressed in her speech that this distinction as Doctor "Honoris Causa" is received by "a committed woman, as well as a scientist who has not only researched but, as published in 2017 by the prestigious journal the Lancet, has a 'distinguished career in the World Health Organization, the government and academia, a career that has contributed to shaping global health'".
Mestre also spoke of the presence and importance of health sciences at the University of Valencia.
Read Maria Vicenta's remarks in full
Cohort 5 Co-Chair and professor of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, José M. Martín-Moreno, was responsible for reading the laudatory speech.
José reflected on Ilona's career, mentioning her great work in different fields and areas of science and society and the many distinctions she has received.
Meet the Partners
Sciana: The Health Leaders Network is a programme supported jointly by the Health Foundation (UK), Careum (CH) and the Bosch Health Campus (DE) in collaboration with Salzburg Global Seminar.
