The Professor Emerita, Professor Emeritus, and Honorary Professor
The title of Professor Emerita and Professor Emeritus is recognised in all universities worldwide. It is nowadays an international tradition that attributes to the title of Professor Emerita and Professor Emeritus the highest academic grade, as a final recognition of particularly prestigious scientific and university careers.
The Emerita and Emeritus titles are conferred after retirement based on similar legal criteria adopted by Universities of different countries, in accordance with their specific systems. Generally, the title gives the option to continue to partake in university activities, and the possibility to use facilities and services of Departments and Universities.
The title of Honorary Professor follows similar legal criteria to those of Emerita and Emeritus and it is widely recognised in Italian Universities.
Legal Status of Professor Emerita and Emeritus and Honorary Professor
In Italy, the figure of Professor Emerita, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professor were defined in the Royal Decree no. 1592 of 31 August 1933, which states in Article 111: “Retired or resigned full professors, may receive the title of "Professor Emeritus" provided they have served for at least 20 years as full professors. The title of "Honorary Professor" may be conferred if such service has lasted at least 15 years. (Testo Unico delle leggi sull’istruzione superiore).
Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors have no special academic prerogatives.
At present, in all Italian universities, the title of Professor Emerita, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professor is conferred to professors who, in addition to meeting the required legal criteria, have distinguished themselves through original contributions in the field of science, education and academia.
Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors of the University of Bologna
While the Law 240/2010 (Gelmini) did not introduce innovations regarding the status of Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors, it has substantially changed the structure of the Universities and the decision-making bodies for such proposals.
In 2022, the University of Bologna issued a regulation governing the procedure for the recognition of Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors (in Italian only).
List of Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors
See the list of Professors Emeriti (since 1933) and Honorary Professors (since 2022) (in italian)
Post-retirement Recognitions of Professors Emeriti and Honorary Professors
See recognitions (in italian).