BUT awarded honorary degrees to two distinguished female scientists

Professors Shadia Rifai Habbal and Sabine Seidler have been awarded the title of doctor honoris causa on November 29, 2024, in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to science and education. The Brno University of Technology (BUT) decided to honor them with this prestigious title on the occasion of the university's 125th anniversary. The award emphasizes the role of women in scientific and technical fields.

Professor Shadia Rifai Habbal – an astronomer and expert in solar physics at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawai’i – is currently one of the leading figures in her field. Her research has led to numerous groundbreaking discoveries, particularly in the area of the solar corona.

Together with Miloslav Druckmüller, a professor at the Institute of Mathematics at BUT, she founded the Solar Wind Sherpas team, which includes solar physicists from the University of Hawai’i and mathematicians and engineers from BUT. Their collaboration has led to the discovery of previously unknown structures in the solar corona and the creation of temperature maps of the solar corona. A key achievement is the understanding of the connection between prominences and coronal structures, as well as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

“It is an honor and privilege to receive this highest recognition from the Brno University of Technology, which I consider my second home,” said Habbal in her speech.

The second honored woman during the ceremonial academic event was Professor Sabine Seidler – an internationally renowned figure in the field of tertiary education. Former Rector of the Technical University of Vienna and expert on polymer and non-metallic materials, she played a crucial role in developing the cooperation between the Technical University of Vienna and the Brno University of Technology. Under her leadership, key reforms were implemented at the University of Vienna, focusing on digitalization, support for interdisciplinary research, curriculum modernization, and promoting equal opportunities in science. Her efforts significantly contributed to strengthening the university’s position on the international stage.

Throughout her career, she has been a member of numerous scientific committees and associations, and currently serves on the scientific council of the Research Department at the Austrian Fraunhofer Society. This year, she was awarded the honorary badge “For Services to the Republic of Austria” in gold.

In her thank-you speech, Professor Seidler spoke about the challenge for universities to bridge the gap between the interests of business and society. “Industry expects research to deliver applicable innovations and that education will create new employees. Society, on the other hand, expects university graduates to be responsible citizens who will bring innovations for the whole society. European universities face enormous strategic and content-related challenges. However, I am confident that we will overcome them,” she said.

“I am truly glad that on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of our university's founding, we have expanded the gallery of distinguished personalities who have been awarded honorary doctorates. We have honored individuals whose scientific achievements and societal contributions inspire and can serve as role models on our path toward strategic goals. We awarded honorary doctorates to two exceptional women who have achieved truly remarkable results in their academic careers. It is especially gratifying that, through these honorary titles, we were able to recognize their close ties and long-standing collaboration with our university, which contributed to its development. At the same time, I believe that they will become an inspiration and motivation not only for our entire academic community but also for future generations of female scientists, whom we would like to welcome in our technical fields in much larger numbers than we do now,” said BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček during the award ceremony.

The honorary doctorate awarded to Professors Habbal and Seidler continues BUT’s long-standing tradition of honoring prominent individuals who have significantly contributed to the development of science. Since its founding in 1899, the university has granted this prestigious title to 71 individuals. Among the recipients are figures such as Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Tomáš Baťa, Edvard Beneš, Armin Delong, Nikola Tesla, Sir Frank Lampl, Eva Jiřičná, and Ulrike Diebold.

Author: Lenka Kenjová