Ceremony included the launch of the author’s new book “Thinking Incommunicado”
Foto; Giordano Toldo
On Friday (6), PUCRS awarded its highest academic honor, the title of Doctor Honoris Causa, to the French sociologist Dominique Wolton, a world-renowned reference in the Sciences of Communication. The ceremony was held in the auditorium of Building 9, at the School of Humanities, and was attended by academic authorities, faculty members, students, and guests.
The tribute was presented by the President of PUCRS, Br. Evilázio Teixeira, who presided over the ceremony next to the Senior Vice President, Br. Manuir Mentges, and the Dean of the School of Communications, Arts, and Design – Famecos, Rosângela Florczak. In his speech, the President stressed the relevance of Wolton’s ideas, who advocates communication as an essential pillar for democracy.
“Contrary to the criticism of contemporary media issues, we have Wolton’s enthusiasm and his belief in communication as a great humanistic value, based on equality and in the freedom of the interlocutors,” said Br. Evilázio.
He also highlighted one the author’s main teachings: “To inform is not to communicate. Wolton reminds us that communicating means sharing and negotiating. The focus is on dialogue, on the challenge of recognizing the difficulties in interaction and comprehension.”
Professor and researcher Juremir Machado da Silva, responsible for the laudatory speech, reinforced the importance of the honoree’s critical thinking: “Dominique Wolton is a courageous thinker who does not hesitate to think against the grain and defend unpopular ideas. He invites us to reflect on incommunicado, showing us that communicating is, above all, negotiating.”
With an emotional speech, Dominique Wolton thanked for the title and shared reflections on the essence of communication: “Information is a message, but communication is a relationship. To revalue communication, we must revalue
the receiver. Communication is sharing, it is meeting the other. Communication is love.”
The event also marked the release of the sociologist’s new book, “Pensar a incomunicação” (Thinking Incommunicado), a work that deepens the reflections on the challenges of human interaction in a world that is increasingly connected, by not always communicative.
The ceremony was also attended by Vice Presidents, members of the University Board, faculty members, students, Marist Brothers, and representatives of other institutions. The opening music, performed by guest musicians, set the tone of celebration for a morning dedicated to valuing communication as a transformative force.
Born in 1947 in Douala, in Cameroon, Dominique Wolton is internationally recognized as one of the leading figures in the Sciences of Communication. Doctor in Sociology and researcher for the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), he founded the journal Hèrmes – Cognition, Communication, Politics, in 1988, which he still directs today.
Author of more than 30 books translated into various languages, Wolton is known for works like the trilogy To inform is not to communicate; To communicate is to negotiate; and Thinking Incommunicado. He also co-authored A future of faith: Interviews with Pope Francis, resulting from 12 conversations with the pontiff.
Throughout his career, he has been awarded several honors, such as the National Order of the Legion of Honor, the National Order of Merit, and the Order of Arts and Letters. He now adds the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from PUCRS to his path of academic and social contributions.
