Tradition, joy and celebration, as there should be, at this year’s academic ceremony
For the first time since 2020, Linnaeus University’s academic ceremony could be carried out in full scale, in accordance with tradition. Last Friday, Kalmarsalen was filled more or less to the last seat with guests who had gathered to celebrate Linnaeus University’s new doctors, professors, and honorary doctors.
Vice-chancellor Peter Aronsson commenced the grand ceremony and established in his speech, among other things, that Linnaeus University may be a small, but utterly important, part of the long-term work which is also our vision – to set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development.
“Today is a day of joy, but the war in Ukraine dampens the festivities, while we are also reminded of the urgent challenges we are facing; climate change, a questioned democracy, and human rights. We contribute with knowledge that is needed to meet these challenges”, Aronsson said in his vice-chancellor’s speech.
Kalmarsalen was filled almost to the very last seat during the ceremony.
A total of 12 new professors were inaugurated and 24 new doctors were conferred. Six researchers and teachers received badges of merit for significant contributions in academia.
Two new honorary doctors, the sports coach Vésteinn Hafsteinsson and the artist Åsa Jungnelius, were also conferred and received diploma, doctoral ring, and doctoral hat.
Every year, Växjö and Kalmar municipalities hand out the award Stora Linnéstipendiet. The award is made up of SEK 500 000 and is to be used to support Linnaeus University’s research within sustainable ecological development. This year’s recipient of the award, Johanna Sunde, researcher at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, received the award for her research on long-term sustainable management of Swedish oaks.
After the ceremony, there was a banquet for 400 invited guests, starting with starter mingle at Kalmarsalen’s glass annex and then seated dinner, which was followed by dancing well into the night.
“It feels incredibly good now and it’s so much fun that we could finally celebrate the academic ceremony in all its glory again! After the pandemic and last year’s divided ceremony, you could feel it in the air that this was something many were longing for”, Nanny Fransson, Linnaeus University’s event coordinator and ceremonial master summarised.
The speech to the new doctors was held by Disa Berghner, professor and vice-dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences and the professor’s speech was held by Niklas Salmosse, professor of English comparative literature.
The entertainment for the night consisted of, among others, a dance monologue in which the dancer César Garcia Steenson interpreted Charlie Chaplin’s The Final Speech from The Great Dictator.
Swedish Red Elephant, which is part of Linnaeus University’s Artist in Residence activities, performed the song Anybody Out There?
Doctors and honorary doctors who were conferred
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Malin Johansson Östbring
Doctor in biomedical science
Camilla Malm
Doctor in health sciences
Laura Seidel
Doctor in ecology
Lina Mattsson
Doctor in ecology
Laura Ferrans
Doctor in environmental science
Andrea Strinic
Doctor in psychology
Sina Shahabi Ghahfarokhi
Doctor in environmental science
Ola Nordqvist
Doctor in biomedical science
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Joacim Lindh
Doctor in the Swedish language
Manuela Lupsa
Doctor in the Swedish language with specialisation in didactics
Faculty of Social Sciences
Åsa Tugetam
Doctor in pedagogy
Åsa Delblanc
Doctor in pedagogy
Camilla Nilvius
Doctor in pedagogy
Erik Gustavsson
Doctor in pedagogy
Anna-Karin Eriksson
Doctor in political science
Birgitta Lundbäck
Doctor in pedagogy
Faculty of Technology
Tobias Olsson
Doctor in computer and information science
Jadim Ramsey
Doctor in terotechnology
Wen Jiang
Doctor in forestry industry production systems
Tadios Sisay Habite
Doctor in building technology
Nico Reski
Doctor in computer and information science
Grace Jones
Doctor in forestry industry production systems
School of Business and Economics
Katarina Ellborg
Doctor in business administration
Conferred honorary doctors
Åsa Jungelius
Designer and glass artist
Vésteinn Hafsteinsson
Sports coach
Professors who were inaugurated
Christian Waldmann
Professor of the Swedish language
Niklas Salmosse
Professor of English comparative literature
Torsten Löfstedt
Professor of religious studies
Dagmar Brunow
Professor of film studies
Karin Larsson Eriksson
Professor of musicology
Peter Skoglund
Professor of archaeology
Clary Krekula
Professor of social work
Per Strömblad
Professor of political science
Johan Fransson
Professor of digitalisation in forestry
Per Nilsson
Professor of mathematics education
Anna Jensen
Professor of forest ecophysiology
Achim Grelle
Professor of forest management with specialisation in climate benefits of the forest
Badges of merit
António Filipe Teixeira Macedo
Award to prominent researcher
Per Gerreval
Award to prominent supervisor within third-cycle education
Morgan Rydbrink
Award to prominent teacher for pedagogical skills
Charlotte Silander
Award to researcher or third-cycle student who has made significant contributions within societal driving force or for Linnaeus University in the world.
Anders Tengstrand
Award for contributions of special importance for Linnaeus University, called Linnaeus medal.
Stora Linnéstipendiet 2023
Johanna Sunde
Researcher at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
Kalmar and Växjö municipalities’ Stora Linnéstipendium of SEK 500 000 for research within ecologically sustainable development.