Bob Geldof for Israel university honour

Bob Geldof is to receive an honorary doctorate from Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

A post on the institution's official website announced that the former Boomtown Rats frontman is to be honoured for his humanitarian work to end poverty in Africa.

Geldof will receive the doctorate during a special ceremony at Ben-Gurion University's Beersheba campus on May 30.

The rocker's advocacy to aid starving Africans dates back to 1984, when he gathered Boy George, Bono and many other musicians for the all-star charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'.

One year later, he organised charity Live Aid concerts, which were reportedly seen by more than two billion people around the globe.

In the years since Live Aid, Geldof has continued to hold public events for a variety of different social causes including the Self-Aid gig which raised awareness for the unemployed in Ireland and 2005's Live 8 concerts.

Geldof was recently awarded with the 'Groupies' Choice Award' at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, TX and also gave the event's keynote address.