Malmö University's Annual Academic Celebration and Ceremony celebrates its new doctors and professors. It is also a time when honorary and jubilee doctors of the year are installed.

Annual Academic Celebration

Malmö University's Academic Celebration Week and Annual Academic Cermony are designed to celebrate and recognise the University's academic achievements and research advances. It also serves as an opportunity to make the University visible as an important player in society. It is an occasion to both celebrate success and inspire future development.

The week will feature lectures by our new professors and this year's honorary doctorates.

The Academic Celebration Week 2025 begins on Monday 13 October and concludes on Friday 17 October with the University's ceremonial annual celebration.

Total hits: 3

Events

Exhibition, 10 October

Opening of this year’s illustrated professor portraits
FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Lecture, 15 October

Honorary doctor lecture – Michael Mokhberi
FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Lecture, 15 October

Honorary doctor lecture – Julian Togelius

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

Our latest professors

During 2024 Malmö University installed eight new professors at three faculties. New professors will be installed in October 2025.

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 2025

Julian Togelius, a researcher at New York University, has been appointed honorary doctor at the Faculty of Technology and Society. His groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence and gaming has significantly advanced the field.

Caroline Jönsson.

Caroline Jönsson, former national team goalkeeper, has been appointed honorary doctor at the Faculty of Health and Society for her long-standing work for gender equality and better conditions in football, both nationally and internationally.

Michael Mokhberi.

Michael Mokhberi, founder of the company Apptus, has been appointed honorary doctor at the Faculty of Technology and Society. Through his visionary leadership, he has been a catalyst in strengthening the university's position as a hub for data science research.

Peter Nilsson, operations manager of the parasport association FIFH Malmö, has been awarded an honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Culture and Society. The motivation highlights his tireless work for a more inclusive and socially sustainable society for people with disabilities.

Henry Greenspan.

The oral historian, psychologist and playwright Henry ‘Hank’ Greenspan, who has spent more than 50 years dedicated to deepening conversation with Holocaust survivors, is set to be an honorary doctor for the Faculty of Education and Society.

Ingemar Petersson.

Ingemar Petersson – professor emeritus, head of research and chairman of the board – has been appointed honorary doctor at the Faculty of Odontology. During his years as chairman, he has been a valuable support thanks to his solid expertise, experience and network in the medical field and in research.

Honorary doctors in previous years

Previous honorary doctors

Honorary doctors 2024

  • Per Dahlberg, Faculty of Odontology
  • Mark Herzberg, Faculty of Odontology
  • Gediminas Gaigalas, Fakulteten för teknik och samhälle

Lithuanian honorary doctor analyses spectra from stars

  • Vladimir Gel'man, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle
  • Patrik Lundberg, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle
  • Pia Nilsson, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle

Healthcare stalwart to be honorary doctor

Honorary doctors 2023

  • Beth Campbell and Luke Eric Lassiter, Faculty of Education and Society

Eric Lassiter and Beth Campbell new honorary doctors at the Faculty of Education and Society

  • Anders Frid and Anneli Larsson, Faculty of Health and Society

New honorary doctors appointed at the Faculty of Health and Society

  • Sunil Maharaj and Sarah Pink, Faculty of Technology and Society

New honorary doctors appointed at the Faculty of Technology

Honorary doctors 2022

  • Chris Anderson, Faculty of Health and Society
  • Nicolas Lunabba, Faculty of Health and Society
  • Mariia Tyshchenko, Faculty of Culture and Society

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, Faculty 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 the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
  • Erik Swyngedouw, professor of human geography at the 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