Université de Mons awards Honorary Doctorate to Francine Houben

Francine Houben will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Université de Mons (UMons) in Belgium on March 31, 2017. She is one of seven international scholars and professionals outside of academia who will be honoured for having made a significant contribution to their field of expertise.

The Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism has selected Francine Houben to receive the doctorate for the integrated sustainable vision of society she has displayed in her many projects, which range from theatres, museums and libraries to neighbourhoods, housing and parks.

The evening prior to the ceremony, Francine Houben will give a lecture on her work as Creative Director of Mecanoo, sharing the stories behind the practice’s high-profile designs that have been realised all over the world.

The other Honorary Doctors include Sybrand Van Der Zwaag for his research in the field of self-healing materials at Delft University of Technology and Bert Meijer for his work in supramolecular chemistry. Monica Di Luca, Vincent De Gaulejac, Jean-François Ménard, and the British economist Robert Skidelsky will also receive an Honorary Doctorate.