The Higher Education sector is developing a stronger connection with professional practices.
A clear implication of the changing nature of academic contribution today, it appears that universities recognize the value of the leadership, professional contribution, skills, innovation, and experience that working professionals from all sectors of society bring to higher education and to the development of students. In turn, honorary professorships are achieving a higher status than ever before within higher education systems internationally.
An honorary professorship acknowledges a valuable contribution (in terms of leadership, professional service, research input, mentorship or professional expertise) and is more often a cooperative relationship than a permanent employment commitment such as a traditional university professorship. The key characteristic of modern honorary professors is the contribution of their expertise to academic discourse; therefore many professionals in business, entrepreneurship, health, medical fields, innovation, finance, consulting, leadership development, technology and public policy are achieving this status through lecturing, participating in student mentorship programs, discussions with academic colleagues, and input into curricula, research programs and educational initiatives. The development of digital learning has led to unprecedented opportunities for international cooperation between universities and professionals across sectors; online lecturing, virtual classrooms, online mentorship programs and remote courses allow universities to develop collaborative working relationships on a global level, increasingly in the form of online professorships. Furthermore, universities place greater emphasis on the measurable contribution, public engagement, leadership, mentorship and the professional reputation of individuals recognized by the institution as honorary professors. Consequently, honorary professorships, representing a crucial link between the academic and professional worlds, have emerged as an important form of cooperation in higher education as a result of the increased emphasis placed on global, practically-orientated modern learning.
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