Academic Celebrations

Every year we celebrate academic success with two solemn ceremonies. In the spring we honour our new doctors and in the autumn we welcome our new professors. 

Doctoral conferment and inauguration of professors

Doctoral degree conferment ceremony 23-24 May 2025 in Norrköping

New doctors are celebrated for two days and receive symbols of their dignity. Doctors who have defended their doctoral thesis on or before 11 April 2025 and who have received their doctoral degree are invited to be conferred in a solemn ceremony.

On Friday 23 May, the festivities begin with lectures by the honorary doctors and end with the Academic Gala Concert in De Geerhallen. In 2025, the concert will be performed by the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra with the Linköping University Chamber Choir, the Linköping University Male Voice Choir and the Linköping University Women’s Choir – Linnea.

On Saturday 24 May, the ceremony will take place in which the doctors receive a diploma and a doctoral hat or laurel wreath. The faculties also appoint recipients of honorary doctorates to be conferred during the ceremony. The doctors who received their doctoral degrees 50 years ago, so-called jubilee doctors, are also celebrated.

Everyone who wishes to attend the spring academic ceremony as a spectator is welcome but must register. It is free and there is open seating. Register here: Spectators for the spring academic ceremony on May 24.

Inauguration of professors 10 October 2025 in Linköping

On this day, those who have become professors during the year will be installed, prizes and Medals of Merit will be awarded, and the Alumni of the Year will be celebrated. This year, a newly established prize will be awarded for the first time, the Ingemar Ingemarsson Prize for Interdisciplinarity.

The Academic Celebration in pictures

The grandest event of the year

News about academic celebrations

Professor emerita Ulla Riis

19 May 2025

Pioneer in education and IT new jubilee doctor at Linköping University

In 1970, Ulla Riis joined LiU as a new lecturer in education. She was encouraged to pursue doctoral studies by the first professor in the subject. At the Academic Ceremony, she will now, more than fifty years later, become a jubilee doctor.

A procession is passing through a festively dressed crowd

19 May 2025

Academic Celebrations for semi-centennial university

This spring’s Academic Celebrations will take place on 23-24 May. Among the highlights are the performance of a new piece of music composed in honour of the university, and open lectures by thonorary doctors, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

A man is working with his hands

14 May 2025

The enthusiast is shaping LiU’s academic symbols again

Mats Nåbo, one of LiU’s true enthusiasts, has been involved in shaping LiU’s symbols for 30 years. Now he is doing it again for LiU's 50th anniversary.

Upcoming Academic Celebrations

  • Doctoral degree conferment ceremony, May 23-24, 2025 (Norrköping)
  • Inauguration of professors, October 10, 2025 (Linköping)
  • Doctoral degree conferment ceremony, May 29-30, 2026 (Linköping)
  • Inauguration of professors, October 9, 2026 (Norrköping)
  • Doctoral degree conferment ceremony, May 21-22, 2027 (Linköping)
  • Inauguration of professors, October 8, 2027 (Linköping)
  • Doctoral degree conferment ceremony, May 19-20, 2028 (Norrköping)

Every third time the doctoral degree conferment ceremony and the inauguration of professors takes place in Norrköping.

Other academic traditions at Linköping University are graduation ceremonies, which confer Bachelor and Master's degrees, at the Faculty of Technology Sciences and at Malmstens Linköping University, Graduation ceremony of Malmstens.

Academic celebration 2023
Photographer: Peter Holgersson AB

Academic Celebrations - more information