The award was given in recognition of his outstanding academic contributions to computer science and the reach of his influence in shaping the discipline internationally,
Left to right: Professor Wirsing and Professor Fiadeiro (Head of Department)
Royal Holloway confered the degree of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, of the University of London on Martin Wirsing, professor for Informatics and Vice President for Teaching and Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU).
The title was awarded on the 14th of July, 2016, during the graduation ceremonies. Martin kindly spent time with graduands and their families during lunch, and awarded prizes to some of our students who distinguished themselves during their studies.
Martin has served at the highest levels of academia in Germany. His first professorial appointment, in 1985, was at the University of Passau, where he served as dean and vice-dean of the newly founded Faculty for Mathematics and Informatics. In 1992, Martin took over a chair at LMU where he created one of the best research groups in the world and established Informatics as a Diploma course of studies. Between 1999 and 2010, he was Dean of the Faculty for Mathematics and Informatics; member of the senate; director of the Institute for Informatics and vice-chair of the senate.
Martin received a Diplom in Mathematics from LMU, a Mâitrise-des-Sciences Mathématiques from the University of Paris 7, and a PhD from LMU, supervised by the famous logician Kurt Schütte, himself a student of the great David Hilbert. Martin’s career is no short of what one would expect of a scientific grandson of Hilbert’s: Martin is recognized as one of the pioneers who have shaped theoretical computer science as we know it today, especially in the area of logical and algebraic specification. He is well known for his contributions to software development using formal methods, including programme development methodologies and, more recently, the engineering of adaptive and autonomic systems. He has co-authored or edited over 20 books and has published around 250 scientific papers.
A Honorary Degree is the highest mark of distinction that a university can award. Honorary Degrees are conferred on people who have a record of outstanding achievement in scholarship or in public life and who have made contributions of unusual importance.
