The Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) is delighted to announce that Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite will receive an Honorary Doctorate from Erasmus University Rotterdam, one of Europe’s leading universities, in recognition of his outstanding international contributions to healthcare systems research.

Professor Braithwaite will receive the honour at Erasmus University’s 113th Dies Natalis ceremony in Rotterdam on 9 November 2026. He is the first Australian scientist to receive this recognition.

The award recognises Professor Braithwaite’s globally influential research and leadership in healthcare quality, patient safety, resilience and large-scale systems improvement.

Professor Maarten J. IJzerman, Dean, Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam described Professor Braithwaite as “an international leader in the field of healthcare systems.”

“Professor Braithwaite’s pioneering research into quality, patient safety, resilience and sustainable system change has not only led to important scientific insights, but it has also had a global impact on healthcare policy, governance and practice,” said Professor IJzerman.

Professor IJzerman noted Professor Braithwaite’s exceptional ability to bridge the gap between science and societal impact, making “a lasting contribution to improving healthcare systems and people’s health worldwide”.

Professor Braithwaite is Founding Director of AIHI, an internationally recognised centre for health systems research and innovation based at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

Professor Braithwaite said receiving the award was a deeply meaningful recognition.

“To receive an honorary doctorate from Erasmus University Rotterdam is an extraordinary honour,” he said.

“I am deeply grateful to Professor IJzerman for nominating me, to Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management for recommending me, and to the University for conferring this distinction,” he said.

Professor Braithwaite reflected on the significance of receiving the honour in Rotterdam, birthplace of the renowned 15th-century Dutch humanist and scholar Erasmus.

“Erasmus argued that knowledge should challenge convention, cross boundaries and improve the human condition,” he said.

“Today, universities must not only create and preserve knowledge. They must also be places where knowledge connects, across disciplines, institutions, countries and the boundary between scholarship and society,” said Professor Braithwaite.

Professor Braithwaite emphasised that the honour also recognises the many people who have contributed to his work throughout his career.

“Whatever I have achieved has depended on the support and love of my family and the contributions of colleagues, collaborators, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, patients and friends across many countries,” said Professor Braithwaite.