Delhi University professor and noted academic Dr Hany Babu, who is one of the UAPA prisoners in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case has been granted an honorary doctorate degree by Ghent University in Belgium.
The faculty of Arts and Philosophy of Ghent University, which nominated Dr Hany Babu’s name to the executive committee, justified its nomination by pointing at his efforts to safeguard the importance of academic freedom and his commitment to language rights and equal access to education for minorities, said Jenny Rowena, wife of Babu.
Rowena is also a professor at Delhi University.
The diploma and the epitoga will be handed during a ceremony on the university’s “Dies Natalis” or Anniversary Day on 24 March.
Dr Hany Babu’s promoter Dr Anne Breitbarth, Associate Professor of Historical Linguistics at the German section of the Linguistics Department at Ghent University will receive the badges of honour in place of Hany Babu and the same will be handed over to him as soon as circumstances permit, said a representative of the university to Rowena.
Other than Dr Hany Babu six other researchers and scholars from the US, UK, Canada, Austria and the Netherlands are also being awarded honorary degrees on the same day by Ghent University.
Professor Hany Babu who taught in the English department of Delhi University is a noted anti-caste activist and a staunch proponent of social justice.
