About Malmö University's Annual Academic Celebration and Ceremony to celebrate its new doctors and professors as well as honorary and jubilee doctors of the year.

Annual Academic Celebration

Every year in October, Malmö University celebrates its academic achievements through lectures and festivities.

In 2025, the preliminary dates for the Annual Academic Celebration are Monday 13 to Friday 17 October.

Annual Academic Ceremony

The week-long celebrations conclude with the Annual Academic Ceremony, which includes the conferment of doctoral degrees, the installation of professors, the presentation of awards, entertainment and a festive evening for staff and external guests. 

Academic traditions at the ceremony

Annual Academic Ceremony 2024

Malmö University's Annual Academic Ceremony took place on 25 October. You can watch the ceremony below.

New professors

This year, Malmö University is installing eight new professors at three faculties. We will celebrate this with inauguration lectures and a professorial installation ceremony on 25 October.

Honorary doctors

Honorary doctorates can be awarded to academics or non-academics who have promoted scientific research through their commitment. They are appointed by the faculties of the University to reward and recognise them.

Honorary doctors 2024

Per Dahlberg

Per Dahlberg is awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Odontology for inspiring generations of new dental technicians and dentists as a lecturer.

Gediminas Gaigalas

Professor Gediminas Gaigalas of Vilnius University, a world-leading researcher in the field of theoretical atomic physics, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Technology and Society.

Vladimir Gelman

Prominent political scientist Professor Vladimir Gel'man, highly respected for his expertise on Russian politics and governance, is set to be an honorary doctor at Malmö University’s Faculty of Culture and Society and its Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus Regional Research (RUCARR) hub.

Mark Herzberg

Professor Mark Herzberg at the University of Minnesota has been appointed honorary doctor at Malmö University’s Faculty of Odontology, having contributed to its research in oral microbiology.

Patrik Lundberg

Author and journalist Patrik Lundberg has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Culture and Society. He is described as a living example of the importance academic studies can have for students growing up in non-academic environments.

"Very surprised and extremely honoured," that was the reaction of former healthcare manager Pia Nilsson when she learned that she had been awarded an honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Health and Society.

Honorary doctors in previous years

Previous honorary doctors

Honorary doctors 2023

Honorary doctors 2022

Honorary doctors 2021

  • Håkan Hellbjer, Faculty of Odontology
  • Theodore R Gull, Faculty of Technology and Society
  • Paul Willis, Faculty of Education and Society
  • Joan Duda, Factulty of Education and Society

Honorary doctor of 2020

  • Pascal Lefèvre, professor, comics historian and theorist

Honorary doctors of 2019

  • Sara Ahmed, Faculty of Culture and Society
  • Elisabet Nihlfors and Göran Levin, Faculty of Education and Society

Honorary doctors of 2018

  • Bridget Anderson, professor of Migration, Mobilities and Citizenship at University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
  • Erik Swyngedouw, professor of human geography at University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
  • Kerstin Larsson, former manager of Resurscentrum för mångfaldens skola
  • Patrik Sjöberg, high jumper and children's rights activist
  • Else-Maj Rosenlöf, head nurse at Skåne University Hospital
  • Göran Therborn, professor emeritus of sociology
  • Ambra Michelloti, professor and researcher in jaw muscle physiology
  • Hampus Jakobsson, leading investor in technology and a heavyweight on the start up-scene
  • Michel Godefroid, professor and leading atomic physicist

Honorary doctors of 2017

  • Richard Ohrbach, professor and head of research at Center for TMD and Facial Pain, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, US
  • Kent Andersson, chairperson of Malmö City Council
  • Lena Dominelli, professor at the School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University, Durham, UK
  • Ingemar Lundström, professor emeritus at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Linköping University
  • Magnus Gertten, documentary filmmaker and a depicter of Malmö
  • Christopher (Kit) Kelen, artist, teacher, poet and researcher, Macau
  • Fredrik Gertten, filmmaker and producer, Malmö

Honorary doctors of 2016

  • Liv Strömquist, comics creator and artist, Malmö
  • Kerstin Martinsdotter, archivist, Malmö
  • Sven-Olof Isacsson, professor emeritus at the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University och Skåne University Hospital in Malmö
  • David Richards, professor of Mental Health Services Research at University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
  • John Storan, professor, University of East London, London, UK
  • Mats Ulfendahl, former Secretary General of the Swedish Research Council
  • Jenö Kisch, senior dental officer
  • Barbro Westerholm, member of parliament, medical doctor and former director-general of the National Board of Health and Welfare, honorary doctor of odontology

Honorary doctors of 2015

  • Susanna Alakoski, author, columnist and playwright
  • Ilmar Reepalu, former chair of the Executive Committee of Malmö City
  • Sanna Vestin, chair of The Swedish Network of Refugee Support Groups (Flyktinggruppernas Riksråd, FARR)
  • Jan Thavenius, professor emeritus of literary studies at Lund University, Lund, Sweden
  • Kari Fasting, professor of sports sociology and social psychology at Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
  • Dan Olofsson, entrepreneur and Malmö-based business owner
  • Charlotte Froese Fischer, Canadian-American professor emeritus of computer science and applied mathematics at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, US

Honorary doctors of 2014

  • Sir Anthony Bottoms, professor, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  • Bob Jessop, professor, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
  • Per Svensson, journalist and author
  • Ulf Lindén, dentist
  • Nina Rehnqvist-Ahlberg, professor
  • Måns Rosén, professor

Honorary doctors of 2013

  • Alison Kitson, professor at University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australien
  • Rainer Bauböck, professor at the European University Institute
  • Tania Ruiz Gutiérrez, video artist
  • Gertrud Pfister, professor, honorary doctor of Sport Sciences
  • Gudrun Malmer, mathematics didactics teacher, honorary doctor of education science
  • Peter Svensson, professor at the Department of Odontology at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

Honorary doctors of 2012

  • Sir Michael Marmot, professor, University College London, London, UK
  • Nina Glick Schiller, professor, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
  • Tomas Hammar, professor, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Göte Rudvall, previously senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö, Sweden
  • John Clarkson, professor, Trinity College, Dublin, Irland
  • Mogens Killian , professor, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
  • Grayson W, Marshall, professor, University of California, San Francisco, US

Honorary doctors of 2011

  • Lucy Suchman, professor
  • Bertil Eklund, chair of the board at TePe Munhygienprodukter AB

Honorary doctors of 2010

  • Björn Fries, public official who from 2002 to 2007 was national coordinator of the committee National Drug Policy Coordinator (Mobilisering mot narkotika)

Honorary doctors of 2009

  • Stina Gestrelius

Honorary doctors of 2008

  • Keith Horner
  • Lars H Gustafsson, paediatrician

Honorary doctor of 2007

  • Kåre Larsson

Honorary doctors of 2006

  • Samuel F. Dworkin
  • Gunnar Bergenholtz

Honorary doctor of 2005

  • Jonathan Shepherd 

Honorary doctor of 2004

  • Malcolm L. Jones

Honorary doctors of 2003

  • Eva Falk Nilsson
  • Maria Wierzbicka

Honorary doctor of 2002

  • Nobody appointed

Honorary doctors of 2001

  • George Brown
  • Michael Heners

Honorary doctor of 2000

  • Robert Yemm

Honorary doctors of 1999

  • Jaap J. Ten Bosch
  • Takashi Kumagai
  • Kåre Larsson
  • Lars-Erik Lövdén (minister of Municipal Affairs and member of the Social Democratic Party)
  • Bertil Persson

Academic traditions

About Malmö University's academic traditions and the insignia used at the ceremonies.

Contact

arshogtid@mau.se