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.

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

05 June 2024

“It’s incredible to receive such an award”

Seetha Murty has committed her career to children’s and young people’s learning. She is now an honorary doctor of philosophy at LiU.“It’s amazing! When you put your heart into something and receive such an award, it feels very good,” she says.

Orchestra standing outside holding their instruments over the head

27 May 2024

Academic Celebration with space journey and Harry Potter

This year’s Academic Celebration at Linköping University will take place on 31 May and 1 June. The Celebration will feature lectures by honorary doctors, including astronaut Marcus Wandt, and an Academic Gala Concert with a children’s world theme.

Portrait of a woman (Seetha Murty)

18 April 2024

Two champions for children become honorary doctors

Indian principal Seetha Murty has worked with children’s and young people’s learning throughout her professional life. American professor Cindy W. Christian has devoted her career to developing the care of abused children.

Upcoming Academic Celebrations

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

Every third year the doctoral degree conferment ceremony 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