Farewell to Prof. Philip Zimbardo, doctor honoris causa of SWPS University
This morning, the news of Professor Zimbardo’s passing reached SWPS University. We are deeply saddened by this announcement because for us, Philip Zimbardo was not only a great authority in the field of psychology, but also our mentor, and friend.
Renowned researcher, educator, and author
The world heard about Philip Zimbardo after he had conducted a psychological experiment concerning people’s willingness to obey unseemly commands from authority figures — the Stanford Prison Experiment. Although the experiment has been questioned by the scientific community, it has remained a strong starting point for a discussion on authority and obedience.
Over the course of his career, Philip Zimbardo became an internationally recognized psychology educator, researcher, author, and media personality. He published numerous books on persuasion, dissonance, shyness, time perspective, deindividuation, cults, and obedience to authority, which have been translated into many languages.
In 2011, the Senate of SWPS University granted an honorary degree to Professor Philip Zimbardo for his outstanding contributions to psychology, the application of psychological research in conflict resolution, and for the promotion of international scientific cooperation, which also included SWPS University.
Professor Philip Zimbardo made his mark on research in social sciences as a committed scientist, educator, and individual searching for answers to important questions. We learned from his publications. We analyzed, often critically, his research projects, but we always admired his passion and courage that motivated him to be engaged in his research and social causes. We are proud to have counted him among the holders of our honorary degree (doctor honoris causa).
We had a privilege to host Professor Zimbardo at SWPS University many times. He mentored our academics, delivered lectures, and spent time with students.
Committed to social causes
SWPS University’s socially-significant research, social engagement, and collaboration with local communities were close to Professor Zimbardo’s heart. He was interested in the work carried out by a youth community center in Katowice, Poland, located in the former mining district that has become pauperized due to the decline of the mining industry. He considered the project, which provided a space for youth to come together, work on common initiatives, socialize, and build social bonds, to be an important mission. Therefore, he agreed for the center to carry his name — Centrum Zimbardo.
Professor Zimbardo will be greatly missed not only by his family and friends, but also by thousands of academics, researchers, and psychology enthusiasts around the world. We are lucky that he has left us a rich legacy of research findings contained in his many books. Non omnis moriar.