A triple reason to celebrate at the JKU: In addition to two professorships, an honorary doctorate was conferred.

During a special ceremony, JKU Rector Stefan Koch officially conferred German legal scholar Dr. Dr. h.c. Susanne Baer with an honorary doctorate degree. Dean Wilhelm Bergthaler submitted the nomination and during his laudation, he praised Baer as "one of the defining figures in the advancement of law today".

Born in 1964, Susanne Baer teaches at Humboldt University in Berlin and is a renowned expert in public law. She served as a judge on the German Federal Constitutional Court between 2011 and 2023 and has championed both women's rights and gay and lesbian rights. Several universities have presented Susanne Baer with honorary degrees in recognition of her activities and contributions. She has close ties to the JKU; following a research stay, she returned to Linz frequently to hold guest lectures in the field of Legal Gender Studies.

Additional Distinctions
Dr. Norbert Wess was also presented with an honorary professorship. The acclaimed criminal defense expert not only frequently holds courses at the JKU and contributes to conferences and symposia at the JKU, he also serves as co-editor of the Linz Commentary on the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Eva Sames-Dolzer (Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the Kepler University Hospital) was also presented with clinical professorship.

Rector Stefan Koch acknowledged all three of the recipients as individuals who are impressive not only in terms of their research, but also "by the way they approach responsibility, living the academic ethos", and thereby serving as exemplary role models.