21 Honorary Doctors will be conferred this week – tune into the celebration mood by listening to podcasts

The 11th Doctoral Conferment Ceremony of the University of Oulu will take place from Friday to Sunday 27–29 May 2022. At the same time, a total of 21 Honorary Doctors elected by the faculties will be conferred. Honorary doctors have significant scientific merits or important social merits for the University of Oulu. Honorary Doctor is the highest honour that the University can confer to a person. 
Aarno Palotie smiling for camera.

You can now tune into the celebration mood by listening to An Interview with Honorary Doctor podcasts series. The conversations will cover interesting stories about the life and achievements of the guests and their connections to the University of Oulu. The podcasts include, among others, the interviews of journalist and non-fiction writer Helena Petäistö, Professor Aarno Palotie (in a photo) and chief executive Risto Murto, and in 2019 Nobel Prize winner Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Reid Hoffman, who is among the founders of LinkedIn. The Honorary Doctors were interviewed already in the spring 2020 when the Doctoral Conferment Ceremony was originally scheduled to take place.

Information about the new and previous Honorary Doctors

Main celebration and procession on Saturday 28 May

You are warmly welcome to follow live webcast from the main celebration, the initiation of the doctors in the conferment act, on Saturday 28 May from 12 noon. The doctors’ hallmarks, doctoral hat, sword and diploma are handed to the doctors upon initiation. The link to the stream is posted on the university's website.

University community and citizens are welcome to follow the conferment procession on Saturday 28 May from around 3.30pm. The procession proceeds from Mannerheim Park (Mannerheimin puisto) directly down Kirkkokatu to the Oulu Cathedral. The procession has a weather reservation: in rainy weather, it is not organized.

Scientific seminar given by the honorary doctors for the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and the Faculty of Medicine will take place on Kontinkangas campus on Friday 27 May at 10am.

You are welcome to follow and share photos and videos on social media by using hashtag #UniOuluConferment.

Last updated: 24.5.2022