Promovendi

On the afternoon before the Conferral Ceremony, a rehearsal will be held for all graduands. The rehearsal lasts approximately two hours, and more detailed timing information will be provided at a later date.

All graduands are strongly encouraged to attend the rehearsal from beginning to end. Participation helps ensure that the Conferral Ceremony proceeds smoothly and in accordance with academic tradition.

Formal attire is not required for the rehearsal. Participants may attend in ordinary clothing.

The Conferral Ceremony usually lasts approximately two and a half hours, depending on the number of graduands being conferred.

The 2027 Conferral Ceremony will be held at Logomo (Tåggatan 9, FI-20100 Turku). Logomo is fully accessible and can be reached on foot, by bus, or by taxi. The use of private cars is not recommended, as the number of guests is expected to exceed the available parking capacity.

The conferral procedure—the part of the Conferral Ceremony during which the conferrers formally confer the doctoral dignity upon the graduands—is conducted in Latin. The conferral follows a traditional structure and order.

At Åbo Akademi University, conferrers are appointed for the following academic fields:

• Humanities, Psychology and Logopedics
• Theology
• Education
• Social Sciences
• Economics and Law
• Natural Sciences and Health Sciences
• Technology

Each conferrer begins with a greeting, after which they don their doctoral hat and commence the conferral of degrees within their field.

Within each field, the conferral always proceeds in the following order:

1. Jubilee Doctors
2. Honorary Doctors
3. New Doctors

After completing the conferral for their field, the conferrer concludes with a greeting, whereupon the next conferrer takes over and continues the ceremony.

The full programme for the Conferral Ceremony, including musical performances and speeches, will be published here in April 2027.

If you would like to learn more about the conferral tradition and the structure of the festivities, please visit the page About the Conferral Ceremony.

Traditionally, Åbo Akademi University’s conferral festivities include a ceremonial procession from the Conferral Ceremony venue to Turku Cathedral. The procession has long been one of the most visible and cherished elements of the conferral tradition, linking the University to the city’s historical and cultural heritage.

The procession normally proceeds through the city in a predetermined order and includes conferrers, Jubilee Doctors, Honorary Doctors, graduands, and members of the Academic Procession, all dressed in full academic ceremonial attire.

Please note: No procession to Turku Cathedral will be organised in connection with the 2027 Conferral Ceremony, as Turku Cathedral will be closed for restoration works.

The next procession to Turku Cathedral will take place in connection with the 2029 Conferral Ceremony.

Traditionally, the conferral festivities at Åbo Akademi University include an ecumenical Conferral Service, a tradition that dates back to the era of the Royal Academy of Turku.

The Conferral Service is a solemn ecclesiastical ceremony that forms part of the conferral celebrations and highlights the spiritual dimension of the academic occasion. Through prayers, hymns, music, and a sermon, academic tradition is combined with church liturgy in a setting that invites reflection and thanksgiving.

The service normally takes place in Turku Cathedral and brings together graduands, conferrers, and other participants and guests. The ecumenical Conferral Service lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Please note: No Conferral Service will be held in connection with the 2027 Conferral Ceremony, as Turku Cathedral will be closed for restoration works. The Conferral Service will resume in conjunction with the 2029 Conferral Ceremony.

The next Conferral Service will be held in connection with the 2029 Conferral Ceremony.

The Conferral Banquet marks the culmination of the conferral festivities. It is a formal dinner featuring speeches, entertainment, and dancing. All newly conferred doctors are invited to attend the banquet together with an accompanying guest. The banquet is also attended by professors, University staff, and other invited guests.

Attendance at the banquet is by invitation only. All graduands receive an invitation and may choose to participate at their own expense. The invitation includes one accompanying guest.

The 2027 Conferral Banquet will be held at Logomo in Turku.

The conferral ceremony is one of the most tradition-rich academic ceremonies. It is a formal occasion at which a university officially confers its newly graduated doctors. During the ceremony, those being conferred (promovendi) receive the insignia of their new academic dignity, typically including the doctoral hat, sword, and diploma.

The most solemn academic event is undoubtedly the conferral ceremony. It is at this ceremony that those who have completed their degrees are formally conferred the dignity of doctor or master. Unlike several other universities in Finland, Åbo Akademi University does not organise master’s conferral ceremonies. Historically, the conferral ceremony also had a legal significance. Today, its significance is primarily symbolic, and participation is entirely voluntary.

For many graduates, the doctoral conferral ceremony represents the culmination of their academic career. For those who continue in research, it serves as a gateway into the academic community, where the conferral ceremony remains one of many cherished academic traditions. Promovendi often look forward to the conferral ceremony as a unique and memorable experience that stands apart from ordinary academic events.

Tradition

Bologna and Paris are generally regarded as the earliest university cities. Conferral ceremonies were already being held there during the thirteenth century. Many of the traditions, customs and symbols adopted by modern universities originate from these medieval institutions. At Uppsala University, founded in 1477, a solemn university celebration known as a conferral ceremony is believed to have been held as early as the late 1480s. Åbo Akademi University has, in turn, preserved several conferral traditions inherited from the Royal Academy of Turku (1640), which itself drew inspiration from Uppsala. These include the traditional conferral terminology, the use of Latin, the ceremonial sceptres, and the appointment of honorary doctors.

At the Royal Academy of Turku (1640–1827), the conferral tradition was established at an early stage. The first conferral ceremony of the Faculty of Philosophy was held in 1643, only three years after the Academy was founded. The tradition has continued almost uninterrupted ever since. Åbo Akademi University has retained many of the conferral customs of the Royal Academy. The first conferral ceremony at Åbo Akademi University was organised in 1927. During the twentieth century, both master’s and doctoral conferral ceremonies were held, either by individual faculties or jointly by the entire University. During the twenty-first century, the University has organised joint doctoral conferral ceremonies every second or third year.

The conferral festivities at Åbo Akademi University traditionally include a procession, the conferral act, a conferral service, and a banquet. The promoters address the promovendi in Latin while conferring the insignia. The ceremonial sceptres, symbolising the legal autonomy of the University, are carried at the head of the procession. Latin, inherited from the traditions of Uppsala and the Royal Academy of Turku, also plays a central role in the ceremony. The conferral act itself is conducted in Latin for all disciplines, although promotions in Information Technology and Chemical Engineering may exceptionally be conducted in Swedish. The diploma, too, is written in Latin.

Conferral Ceremonies at Åbo Akademi University

The first conferral ceremony at Åbo Akademi University was held in 1927. On that occasion, both master’s and doctoral degrees were conferred. The same applied to the next university-wide conferral ceremony in 1948. In 1934, the Faculty of Theology celebrated its tenth anniversary by organising its own conferral ceremony.

The conferral ceremony of 2027 therefore marks 100 years since the first conferral ceremony at Åbo Akademi University and will be the thirtieth conferral ceremony in the University’s history.

During the conferral festivities at Åbo Akademi University, the programme traditionally includes a procession, the Conferral Ceremony, a Conferral Service, and a Conferral Banquet. During the ceremony, the conferrers address the graduands in Latin and formally present the academic insignia.

The University Sceptres, symbols of the University’s legal autonomy, are carried at the head of the academic procession. The use of Latin is likewise rooted in traditions inherited from Uppsala University and the era of the Royal Academy of Turku. The conferral procedure itself is conducted in Latin for all disciplines, although, in exceptional cases, conferrals in Information Technology and Chemical Engineering may be conducted in Swedish.

The Conferral Diploma, the official certificate of the doctoral dignity, is also written in Latin.

If you would like to learn more about the conferral tradition and the structure of the festivities, please visit the page About the Conferral Ceremony.

Graduates of Åbo Akademi University who have completed a doctoral degree are eligible to participate in the Conferral Ceremony. To take part as a newly graduated doctor, your degree requirements must normally have been completed and formally approved by a specified deadline prior to the ceremony.

If you defended your doctoral thesis at Åbo Akademi University some time ago but have not yet participated in a Conferral Ceremony, you are still eligible to take part. There is no time limit between the doctoral defence and conferral.

Please note that participation in the ceremony as a present graduand requires the appropriate academic insignia. The University’s Research Council may also confer the traditional insignia upon a doctor without participation in a formal Conferral Ceremony.

Pre-Registration and Final Registration

Pre-registration, a non-binding expression of interest, is continuously open prior to Åbo Akademi University’s upcoming Conferral Ceremonies. By registering your interest, you will receive information about the Conferral Ceremony even if you no longer receive Åbo Akademi University’s internal news and communications. The pre-registration form can be found here.

The final binding registration for the 2027 Conferral Ceremony opens in October 2026 and closes on 31 January 2027. Those who have pre-registered will receive information by e-mail.

You may register for participation once your doctoral defence has been officially confirmed or your doctoral degree has been awarded.

Important Deadlines for the 2027 Conferral Ceremony

• 31 January 2027 – Final day for registration for the 2027 Conferral Ceremony.
• 31 March 2027 – Final date by which the doctoral degree must have been awarded in order to participate in the 2027 Conferral Ceremony. This means that the doctoral defence should take place no later than March 2027.
• 15 April 2027 – The Conferral Publication is finalised and sent to print. After this date, it is no longer possible to withdraw from participation as a present graduand.

If you do not participate in person after this date, you will be conferred as absens (in absentia). A person who is conferred absens cannot subsequently participate in person in a later Conferral Ceremony.

If you are unable to attend the 2027 Conferral Ceremony due to illness or another unforeseen circumstance before 15 April 2027 (before the Conferral Publication is sent to print), your registration can be cancelled, and you will have the opportunity to participate in a future Conferral Ceremony instead.

If you become unable to attend after 15 April 2027, you will be conferred as absens (in absentia).

Registration is binding, and the Conferral Banquet fee is non-refundable. If your accompanying guest (avec) is unable to attend the banquet, their place may be transferred to another person.

Participation in the Conferral Ceremony and related ceremonies is free of charge. The formal conferral itself and the Conferral Diploma are provided by Åbo Akademi University.

Only participation in the Conferral Banquet is subject to a fee, which is paid at the time of registration. The fee applies to both the graduand and any accompanying guest. The participation fee for the 2027 Conferral Banquet has not yet been confirmed but is typically approximately €150–175 per person.

Overview of Potential Costs

• Conferral of the doctoral degree – no charge
• Conferral Diploma (insignia) – no charge
• Doctoral hat with lyre – approximately €550–900, depending on model and supplier
• Doctoral sword featuring Åbo Akademi University’s Brahe wings and personal engraving (name and date) – approximately €350–450, depending on supplier
• White tie rental and shoes (if required) – approximately €150–200
• Hotel accommodation in central Turku – approximately €100–200 per night for two persons
• Conferral Banquet – approximately €150–175 per person

Åbo Akademi University provides free bus transportation to and from the Conferral Ceremony and the Conferral Banquet (Turku city centre – Logomo – Turku city centre).

You are conferred according to your degree and should wear the insignia associated with your doctoral degree and field. A complete list specifying which degrees use which insignia is available here.

If you are unsure of your exact degree title, please contact graduateschool@abo.fi or promotion@abo.fi.

Please note: You cannot be conferred without the correct insignia.

Borrowing a Doctoral Hat

A doctoral hat is highly personal, particularly in terms of its size and shape, which are tailored to fit the wearer. Only limited adjustments can be made with hat inserts. It is possible to borrow a hat from a colleague or acquaintance, provided that it corresponds to the correct doctoral degree and bears the appropriate lyre.

However, obtaining your own hat is strongly recommended. A doctoral conferral is an important milestone in life, and for those pursuing an academic career, the doctoral hat serves as a symbol that can be worn on many future academic occasions.

Borrowing a Doctoral Sword

A doctoral sword can readily be borrowed from a colleague or acquaintance. Åbo Akademi University also has a limited number of loan swords available. These are primarily reserved for Jubilee Doctors and for graduands travelling long distances to participate in the Conferral Ceremony.

Requests regarding loan swords may be sent to promotion@abo.fi.

Please note: You cannot be conferred without the correct insignia.