A Celebration of Science and Scientists at the Doctoral Conferment Ceremony in Kuopio 

Jussi Karkkulainen, University Lecturer in Criminal Law and Procedural Law at UEF Law School 

The University of Eastern Finland celebrated the doctoral conferment ceremony, which I was able to participate in as a promovendi, i.e. a doctor to be conferred. The academic festivities dating back to the Middle Ages was held in Kuopio on 5–7 June. In this blog post, I will tell you about my experience through photos taken from the conferment ceremony. 

UEF Law School doctors who participated in the conferment ceremony. In the foreground from left to right, newly conferred doctors LL.D. Juho Saloranta, Ph.D. Henna Nikumaa and LL.D. Jussi Karkkulainen. In between, Professors Eeva Nykänen and Anna Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen. Photo: University of Eastern Finland. 

The festivities began on Thursday at 1 p.m. by Studia Generalia, which was open to all, with honorary doctors Sirpa Kähkönen, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Axel Börsch-Supan and Markku Kulmala performing. From 6 p.m. onwards, the promovendi participated in the rehearsals of the conferment ceremony act at the Kuopio Music Centre. 

After the rehearsals, there was a traditional hat fitting ceremony and an evening party with dinner.

In the Doctoral Conferment Ceremony Act, the doctors get the right to carry the doctoral regalia, which at the University of Eastern Finland comprise the doctoral hat, the doctoral emblem used by all doctors, and the doctoral diploma. Doctoral graduates at the University of Eastern Finland wear a doctoral emblem designed by Jussi Jokinen, which describes the torchbearers of the scientific world. My own discipline, law, can be recognized by the red colour of the hat.

The conferment ceremony act ended with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra’s magnificent interpretation of Jean Sibelius’s work ”Finlandia” and the national anthem of Finland.

After the conferment ceremony, it was time for the conferment procession on the streets of Kuopio.

In the Moment after the conferment ceremony, Professor Arto O. Salonen gave a presentation “Bildung secures the future”.

In the evening, a conferment dinner was held, after which there was also an opportunity to participate in the ball.

The festivities ended on Saturday 7 July with a conferment cruise. Photo: University of Eastern Finland. 

In addition to festive and dignified events, the doctoral conferment ceremony in Kuopio included unforgettable encounters with people I had not met before. It was great to see how much we have in common with doctors from different disciplines, but the special characteristics of the disciplines also taught me a lot of new things. I also felt special when there were only two of us promovendi in red hats among the 180 doctors, me and Juho Saloranta. Time passed far too quickly during the conferment ceremony, but hopefully I will meet as many people as possible again.