06/05
2026
honorary doctorates
06/05
2026
honorary doctorates
Date
06 May 2026
Timetable
16:30 - 22:00
Location
Royal Military Academy
Hobbemastreet 8
1000 Brussels
Target audience
By invitation
Professor emeritus Joseph Soeters
Professor Emeritus Joseph SOETERS (b. 1954), recipient of an honorary doctorate awarded by the Faculty of Social and Military Sciences (SSMW).
Professor Joseph Soeters is professor emeritus at the Nederlandse Defensie Academie (NLDA) and Tilburg University. He is one of the world’s leading and most influential scholars in the field of military sociology. His academic output comprises more than 280 publications that have been translated internationally. These works are standard references within the field and were produced through a unique, ongoing interplay between theory, empirical research and practical experience. Prof. Dr Soeters’ career spans four decades and is also characterised by exceptional mentorship. For instance, the professor has successfully supervised more than 38 PhD students, thereby contributing directly to the development of several generations of military sociologists and policy scientists. This makes Professor Soeters one of the most important architects of contemporary military sociology and has earned him several prestigious awards. During his impressive career, the professor has also forged special ties with the Royal Military Academy, notably through joint research projects. A relationship of mutual appreciation.
Promotor: Professor Delphine Resteigne, Chair of Sociology, RMA
Honorary professor Tony Arts
Honorary professor Tony ARTS (b. 1954), recipient of an honorary doctorate awarded by the Faculty of Polytechnics (POL).
Tony ARTS is honorary professor at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) and professor emeritus at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL). He is one of the leading experts in turbomachinery within the NATO community. His academic career has been primarily based at the VKI, which has a threefold mission: to train scientists and engineers from NATO countries, to disseminate knowledge, and to conduct and promote studies and research in the field of theoretical, numerical and experimental fluid dynamics. He excels in all three areas. Prof. Arts’ pioneering research has led to various industrial applications in the development of advanced technologies; he enjoys international renown and has received numerous awards. In addition, he serves as an expert on numerous committees and is a member of several panels and committees, including at NATO and the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID). His connection with Defence has existed since the very beginning of his career. The professor, in fact, completed his military service as a research assistant at the Royal Military Academy (RMA). A bond for life, it turns out, which today has resulted in an honorary doctorate from that very same RMA.
Promotor: Lieutenant-colonel Professor Benoît Marinus, Dr Ir., Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, RMA