Italian rock singer Vasco Rossi has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Salerno, Sky TG24 reports. The degree is in politics and communication, according to Il Mattino, which covered the ceremony via live stream.
Rossi delivered a lecture at the event, which drew an ovation from those present, Il Resto del Carlino reports. According to that outlet, Rossi said the doctorate meant he could now teach, but joked that audiences should not worry because he would keep performing concerts.
Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that during his remarks Rossi said politics is not only conducted inside institutional buildings, describing it as also the way society chooses whom to protect and whom to leave on the margins.
Rockol reports that Rossi framed the doctorate around the idea that songwriting can give voice to hardship, describing him as a "Dottore di Ricerca" — a holder of a research doctorate.
The honor places the singer, long one of the best-known figures in Italian popular music, within an academic setting rather than a concert venue. The University of Salerno awarded the degree in a field — politics and communication — that overlaps with themes Rossi addressed in his lecture, according to the accounts published by the Italian outlets covering the event.
It is not clear from the reporting whether Rossi plans any further academic appearances. For now, his stated plan, per Il Resto del Carlino, is to continue touring.
