Sting, Trudie Styler receive honorary degrees from Brown University

Singer Sting and his wife actor Trudie Styler were conferred with an honorary degree from Brown University.

At its 250th Commencement, the university conferred honorary doctorates on seven candidates, including Sting and Styler.

Sting, 66 and Styler, 64, were honoured for their outstanding contribution in their respective fields and for their work as co-founders of Rainforest Foundation in 1985, according to Brown University website.

"You are vibrant artists, activists and global citizens who have made a lifelong commitment to both human rights and the preservation of the natural world. Your partnership in co-founding and expanding the work of the Rainforest Foundation has cultivated support for the rights of indigenous people, the pursuit of sustainable development and the capacity to challenge the damaging practices of government and industry in these vulnerable areas.

"Through music, film, word and deed, you have brought awareness and crucial resources to this important cause. For your decades of leadership in protecting the environment and your profound compassion for those who suffer injustice around the world, we honour you with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters," a statement by the university read.

Born as Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Sting is popularly known as the lead singer of rock band The Police from 1977 to 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985.

Styler has raised millions for their projects around the globe as a UNICEF ambassador.

The couple has four children - Bridget Michael (34), Jake Sumner 33), Eliot Paulina (28) and Giacomo Luke (23).