Professor John Borrows to receive an honorary degree from the University of Waterloo

Professor John Borrows will receive an honorary degree from the University of Waterloo next week on June 15.

“John Borrows is an exceptional scholar, whose work on Indigenous law and legal traditions is known the world over,” says University Professor Jutta Brunnée, dean of Law and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair. “An honorary degree from the University of Waterloo is a fitting recognition of his trailblazing research.”

The honorary degree is the University of Waterloo’s highest honour, recognizing outstanding achievement in either academia or in service to society.

A member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Borrows completed four degrees at U of T, including his JD and LLM, and was an early-career scholar with the law faculty from 1998 to 2002. Borrows is one of the world’s leading scholars of Indigenous law and was named the inaugural Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law at U of T in 2022.

He has previously received five honorary degrees from Canadian universities, including Dalhousie University, Queen's University, Simon Fraser University, York University and Victoria University in the University of Toronto.

“These recipients provide inspiration to our graduates and our University community as we celebrate their achievements and impact in their respective fields,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.

U of T Celebrates: Cristina Amon and John Borrows receive honorary degrees from University of Waterloo