(AGENPARL) – Tue 11 November 2025 LAUREA AD HONOREM
IN SCIENZE FILOSOFICHE
A KEN LOACH
Londra, 11 novembre 2025
Saluti del Rettore Giovanni Molari
Dear colleagues, dear students, dear Mr Loach,
It is with great pleasure that I greet you all, and thank you for your
presence at this ceremony, which brings us together for the
conferral of the Honorary Degree in Philosophical Sciences to Ken
Loach.
I would like to greet my colleagues and students connected from
Bologna and everyone who worked on this event, and the
governance at King’s College for hosting it.
My warm thanks to Prof. Alberto Burgio, Prof. Luca Guidetti,
Director of the Department of Philosophy and Prof. Riccardo Brizzi,
Director of the Department of the Arts, who proposed the
conferral of this honorary degree.
It was a proposal that I immediately accepted with great
enthusiasm, and for which I thank them, along with all the
colleagues from the two Departments.
Through the ceremonies for the conferral of honorary degrees,
Alma Mater aims not only at celebrating the excellence of those
who receive this recognition, but also to present models whose
values and ideals can inspire our community – just as Ken Loach has
done throughout his career.
It is my great privilege to speak on behalf of the entire Alma Mater
Studiorum community to express our profound admiration and
gratitude to Mr. Ken Loach.
We are grateful for his tireless work as a filmmaker who has never
wavered in his commitment to portraying the lives of ordinary
people.
Through his films, he has consistently shed light on the struggles,
dignity, and humanity of working-class communities – voices too
often overlooked.
We admire the authenticity, intellectual depth, and moral clarity
that define every one of his works.
Ken Loach engages with reality in a way that is both artistically
brilliant and socially and politically aware, reaching audiences
across generations, cultures, and countries. His cinema is not only
a mirror of society but also a call to empathy, resilience and social
justice.
His extraordinary career, spanning over five decades and including
27 feature films and numerous documentaries, has earned him the
highest international recognition: two Palme d’Or at Cannes, the
Golden Bear for lifetime achievement in Berlin, and the Golden
Lion for lifetime achievement in Venice, among many others.
His latest film, The Old Oak, continues to testify to his enduring
relevance and profound insight into contemporary life, into the
tensions and conflicts that permeate difficult current scenarios.
This recognition goes beyond mere artistic achievement: it
acknowledges a rare combination of storytelling mastery, ethical
rigor, and profound understanding of the social transformations
shaping our world.
The University, in its truest sense, is called to embody and promote
the values that Mr. Loach exemplifies: sensitivity and empathy
towards diversity and the enhancement of human dignity, the
cultivation of critical awareness, and the pursuit of justice.
In our classrooms and lecture halls, knowledge becomes an active
force for the common good, memory transforms into care for the
present and responsibility toward the future, and culture fosters a
respect for fundamental human rights – the very principles that lie
at the heart of democracy.
It is an honor to represent an institution that, in the very first lines
of its Statute, proclaims: “The preeminent value for the entire
community of the Alma Mater Studiorum is the respect for the
fundamental rights of the individual, which the University
undertakes to promote and protect in all circumstances.”
Awarding this honorary degree to Ken Loach is not only a
recognition of his artistic brilliance but also a celebration of his
commitment to social conscience and ethical responsibility.
Today, the Alma Mater Studiorum becomes the voice of a broader
community – both national and international – expressing
admiration for a life dedicated to the promotion of truth, justice,
and the dignity of work.
Mr. Loach, I wish to say that this honorary degree is, above all, an
honor for us who confer it. It is a source of pride and joy to count
you among the graduates of the University of Bologna.
Your work will continue to inspire generations of students,
scholars, and citizens who aspire to a society guided by integrity
and courage.