Honorary doctorates for dentist Didi Landman and writer Édouard Louis
Dentist Didi Landman and writer Édouard Louis are to receive honorary doctorates from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) at the upcoming Dies Natalis. They are being honoured for their commitment to people “who are excluded by the system”.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is awarding honorary doctorates to dentist Didi Landman and writer Édouard Louis. In doing so, the university is conferring upon them the academic title of doctor, the highest academic honour. Vice-Chancellor Anniek de Ruijter states that both future honorary doctors “share a strong focus on people who are excluded by the system. Landman does so in the dentist’s chair, Louis with his pen”.
A powerful example
Dentist Landman is being awarded the honorary doctorate in recognition of her efforts to provide oral care to the homeless. For instance, she offers free treatment at Erasmus MC to groups in society for whom oral care is a secondary concern in their daily struggle for survival. Through the foundation Dental Care for Homeless People, Landman raises funds to continue providing free oral care and even expand it in the future. Among other things, the proceeds from her autobiography Street Dentist 010: A Smile for Everyone go to her foundation. According to honorary supervisor Monique van der Veen, “Landman not only provides care, but is also a powerful example of the social role that dentistry can play”.
Sociological observations
Louis is renowned for his novels on social inequality in northern France, in which his life story forms the basis for a broader sociological analysis. He is a widely read author who portrays the French conservative working class – of which his own family is a part – in his largely autobiographical novels. Escaping his parents’ social milieu is a key theme in these works, but sociological observations on economic oppression and structural inequality also play a major role. His books thus “bring home how the law, public policy and politics intervene in individual lives”, says honorary supervisor Marc de Wilde.
A significant achievement
Since 1897, it has been a tradition to award a number of honorary doctorates during the Dies Natalis, the anniversary of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The eligibility criterion for the title is having made a significant academic contribution without having written a thesis – the usual route to a doctorate. Last year, TomTom developer Corinne Goddijn-Vigreux received an honorary doctorate. The next Dies will take place on 21 January 2027.
