A posthumous degree: Humanitarian gesture or deserved reward?

When universities award posthumous degrees, they have to follow institutional guidelines that should capture a balance between compassion and academic standards – and to prevent academic procedures from turning into memorial services, experts have said.

They responded to the recent awarding of posthumous masters and doctorate degrees by Al-Azhar University in Egypt.

Posthumous degrees awarded

A discussion panel was held for the masters dissertation of the deceased female demonstrator Amira Mohammed Abdel Rahman at the faculty of Islamic and Arabic studies for girls in Zagazig on 22 April.

Also, a postgraduate discussion panel was held for the doctoral dissertation of deceased female assistant lecturer Hanem Mahmoud Abul-Yazid, at the faculty of Islamic and Arabic studies for girls in Port Said, on 15 April.

In a statement by Professor Salama Gomaa Daoud, the president of Al-Azhar University, he emphasised that the discussion was “a unique event, the first of its kind at the university”.

Al-Azhar University – considered the ‘Oxford’ of the Islamic world – is the world’s foremost seat of Sunni Muslim learning, and awards degrees in sciences and humanities as well as in religious studies. It is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the world.

Another institution that awarded a posthumous degree was Sohag University. Its faculty of technology and education has awarded the deceased assistant lecturer, Ibrahim Mahmoud Abdo Shamsya, a doctorate on 19 April.

In addition, Minia University, Cairo University and Tanta University have all awarded doctorates to deceased students.

Why award posthumous degrees?

Egyptian universities that were contacted said that the reasons for awarding posthumous degrees were to honour the researchers and to protect intellectual property rights and research benefits.

Al-Azhar University Vice-Chancellor Daoud, in the 16 April statement about the late Hanem Mahmoud Abul-Yazid said: “It honours the researcher and her family, who patiently endured the effort of preparing the PhD dissertation, and also protects her intellectual property rights so that their efforts are not in vain.”

He confirmed that the PhD examination committee awarded the researcher a doctorate degree with first-class honours and that the research had been deposited in the faculty library and the central library.

According to him, the doctorate was “an honour and a tribute to the deceased researcher, [and] not an academic degree”.

Several universities in Africa and around the world have adopted policies for awarding degrees to deceased students, including Morocco’s Cadi Ayyad University and Tunisia’s University of Tunis El Manar.

Institutions elsewhere in the world have also adopted regulations for awarding post-graduate degrees, including the United Kingdom-based Surrey University and the United States-based Colorado State University, among many others.

According to these regulations, awarding a graduate degree posthumously is considered for graduate students who have completed a major portion of the planned degree programme including theses, dissertations, research projects or creative outputs, and have written comments about it.

After approving the posthumous degree, the family of the student will be contacted for presenting the diploma which will include the statement, “Awarded Posthumously”, and the student’s transcript will note that the degree was conferred posthumously.

Honouring intellectual work

Engineer Walid Gashout, the president of the Higher Education Students Foundation in Libya, told University World News: “Universities should grant postgraduate degrees posthumously when the dissertation has been submitted, providing that the work meets academic standards.

“I believe it’s a respectful recognition of the researcher’s intellectual efforts. A symbolic public panel may be appropriate, but it must be clearly distinguished from a formal viva.

“Presenting the certificate to the student’s family, without a discussion panel, can be a dignified way to honour the student’s work, especially when academic evaluation is already complete.

“Holding a viva without the student departs from academic norms and risks turning an academic procedure into a memorial,” Gashout said.

According to him, clear institutional guidelines were essential to maintain academic integrity. “Posthumous degrees should reflect genuine scholarly contribution, not sympathy alone. When managed with transparency and respect, such gestures can uphold both academic values and human compassion,” he said.

Professor Hamed Ead, who is based in the faculty of science at Cairo University, and is the former cultural counsellor at the Egyptian Embassy in Morocco, agreed with Gashout that granting posthumous degrees honoured the intellectual contributions of the researchers and acknowledged their commitment to their work.

“Holding a public discussion panel allows the academic community to collectively recognise and celebrate the student’s achievements, ensuring their legacy is respected and remembered,” Ead told University World News.

“Presenting the certificate to the family acknowledges the student’s achievement in a compassionate manner. While a discussion panel is a meaningful tribute, the act of presenting the certificate itself can serve as a significant gesture of respect and honour for the family, emphasising the value of the student’s work, even in their absence,” said Ead.

Maintaining academic integrity

Ead added that holding a discussion panel for a PhD or masters thesis or dissertation without the student’s presence could be seen as an attack on academic principles.

“The viva is traditionally an opportunity for the student to defend their work and engage in scholarly discourse. Transforming a viva into a memorial service risks undermining the academic rigour and integrity of the process, shifting the focus from intellectual achievement to commemoration. It’s essential to balance respect for the deceased with the integrity of academic traditions,” he said.

According to him, “humanity should guide the university’s actions, reflecting compassion and respect for the contributions made by the students”.

“Balancing these aspects can enhance the academic community’s integrity while also honouring those who have passed,” he said.