Honoris causa degree to Silvia Gherardi awarded by the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), one of the most prestigious and ancient universities of
The award was assigned to the professor in Sociology of Labour a few days ago.
Silvia Gherardi had already been awarded other degrees ad honorem. She had been awarded the title "Doctor Honoris Causa” in 2005 by the Department of Social Science of the Roskilde University (Denmark) and by the University of Kuopio - now East Finland University (Finland), in 2010. She is permanent professor at the University of Trento, a founding member and currently coordinator of RUCOLA (Research Unit on Communication, Organizational Learning, and Aesthetics) which enjoys an excellent international reputation. Her main research interests are the organizational studies, gender studies, the decision-making processes, theorganizational learning and the new technology. She published works in these sectors which are considered fundamental for the researchers in these fields.
In her presentation speech held by Professor Nic Beech during the awarding ceremony underlined that “Her work is extremely groundbreaking in the studies for the concept of practice in social science, and above all in the studies about organization. She challenged the conventional academic barriers. Her work was fundamental in fostering dialogue among the various disciplines of Humanities, the sociological thinking and the research in the field of organizations”.
The introductory speech then mentioned the numerous international awards received by professor Gherardi: the membership of the ’European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) in 2008, of which she had been the President between 1997and 2000; her articles were published in international journals; her recent studies on aesthetics; her role in the Scientific Committee of the Italian Association of Sociology and her effort in supporting the scientific journals thanks to her contributions.
Beech particularly insisted on Gherardi’s role on her contribution to the academic growth of young researchers because she is able to make complex ideas accessible, stimulating the interest towards her field of studies in a creative manner, through conversations and informal dialogues. “One of our most brilliant colleagues”, concluded professor Beech, who considers herself as an “academic daugher” of professor Gherardi. Beech is a young researcher, grown following the example of intellectual correctness, who describes with pathos the experience of spending time with the Italian professor, similar “spending time with your aunt”. She was able to combine a sound critical education with kindness: this is very unusual for an internationally-recognized researcher. These are values which we particularly tender here at St. Andrews”.