Professor Dame Mary Beard
Professor Dame Mary Beard teaches at Cambridge University and is considered one of the best-known classics scholars in the world.
Dame Mary Beard moves effortlessly at the intersection of literature, history, archaeology and art studies. She enjoys worldwide recognition for her commitment to making the classics accessible to a wide audience.
When I grow up I want to be Mary Beard
"But her work goes beyond religious history and women's studies. As a classics scholar, she shows how Antiquity remains relevant, as one of the cultures that has shaped us, but above all as a culture that holds up a mirror to us, teaching us to see the prejudices of our own time."
Professor Dame Mary Beard is a leading classics scholar, driven by her passion to share the classics, and by the belief that confronting them makes a difference in how we view our world today.
Professor Lieve Van Hoof and Professor Koen Verboven, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, are the promotors of this honorary doctorate.
Laudatio for professor Dame Mary Beard from the de Smet de Naeyer Park. With some what hidden in it: the sculpture group with the three figures that stand for Force, Beauty and Wisdom. Three aspects that professor Dame Mary Beard also stands for.
The Roman Empire as eye-opener and the importance of antiquity
Is the study of antiquity old-fashioned or outdated? Far from it, says Dame Mary Beard of Cambridge University. She is one of the most famous classics scholars in the world, who has succeeded in popularizing the study of the humanities. And in the meantime, she also enriches debate on topical issues.
Hororary doctor Dame Mary Beard:
"It is a huge eye-opener to look at the Roman Empire and discover a world full of prejudices. But they did not divide the world along racial lines."
