image: From left: Professor Petr Němec, dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the University of Pardubice; Lehigh University Professor Himanshu Jain; and Mr. Pavel Hron, the University of Pardubice beadle, at the "doctor honoris causa" ceremony on April 25, 2025.
Credit: Courtesy of the University of Pardubice, Czech Republic
Himanshu Jain, the T.L. Diamond Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Applied Science and a professor of materials science and engineering at Lehigh University, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic.
The university’s highest distinction, doctor honoris causa, was conferred during an April 25 ceremony in the university’s historic Arnošt of Pardubice Assembly Hall. The honor recognizes Jain’s influential research in glass science, his leadership in advancing graduate education, and his longstanding partnership with Pardubice’s Faculty of Chemical Technology.
Jain is widely regarded for his pioneering work in both fundamental and applied research on glass materials. Over the past 25 years, his work with Pardubice researchers has focused on chalcogenide glasses—materials with unique optical properties and broad potential in fields like photonics, nanolithography, and chemical sensing. He has served on the International Advisory Board of the university’s Centre for Materials and Nanotechnologies and currently sits on the International Scientific Council, advising university leadership on research and innovation.
Jain holds 12 patents and has authored more than 420 scientific publications. He has also edited 10 books and received several major international honors, including the Otto Schott Award—the highest global recognition in glass science—the Zachariasen Award, and the N.F. Mott Award. Jain served as founding director of Lehigh’s International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass and the Institute for Functional Materials and Devices (I-FMD), and he has held visiting appointments at leading institutions including the University of Cambridge in England, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and University of Dortmund in Germany.
In his acceptance speech, Jain reflected on how recognition from peers represents a defining aspect of identity in academia—making the honor especially meaningful to him. He also spoke about the powerful role that chance has played throughout his career: a spontaneous barroom conversation led to his first job at Brookhaven National Lab; chatting with the passenger next to him on a plane sparked a 14-year bioactive glass collaboration; and a dinner encounter with a prosthodontist in Egypt ultimately resulted in clinical trials that helped patients.
“The people and places I happened to be with at certain times by chance determine the honor I am receiving today,” he told the audience, underscoring how unexpected moments—and the people behind them—have shaped the course of his life and research.
For Jain, however, the greatest reward has been the joy of discovery.
“I have been fortunate to have had many such eureka moments of discovery as a result of discussions and interactions with many faculty and students at University of Pardubice. I would like to recognize them for making today’s ceremony a reality and a special day for me.”
During his visit, Jain also delivered a lecture that explored new directions in doctoral education, including Lehigh’s Pasteur Partners PhD (P3) program, which emphasizes collaborative, real-world research experiences at the intersection of academia and industry. Jain leads the P3 program, which he co-developed alongside university and industry experts with support from the National Science Foundation to help redefine STEM graduate education and better prepare students to address urgent societal challenges.
Read the full announcement from the University of Pardubice here.
Related Links:
- Rossin College Faculty Profile: Himanshu Jain
- Lehigh University: Pasteur Partners PhD (P3) program
- NSF: "Catalyzing change in STEM graduate education: The power of 'use-inspired' research"
- "University of Pardubice Awarded Honorary Doctorates for Contributions to Historical and Chemical Sciences"
- Video: Prof. Jain's acceptance speech at the University of Pardubice
- Lehigh University: Institute for Functional Materials and Devices