Six new honorary doctors will receive their title in the spring 2025 conferment ceremony of the Faculty of Philosophy.
The title of honorary doctor is conferred to pay tribute to internationally highly distinguished professors representing the various disciplines of the Faculty as well as influential figures in society and cultural life. An honorary doctorate is the highest honor a university can bestow upon an individual.
The University of Helsinki's Faculty of Philosophy brings together the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, the Faculty of Educational Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The above faculties will jointly, as the Faculty of Philosophy, confer the title of honorary doctor on children's author, playwright and screenwriter Tiina Nopola. Nopola has published more than 90 children's novels and picture books, significantly fostering and promoting children's literacy. Nopola is best known for the Siiri, Risto Räppääjä, and Heinähattu ja Vilttitossu series.
Professor Carl Folke, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, will receive an honorary doctorate in the fields of the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences. Folke is a pioneer in multidisciplinary research on sustainability challenges, focusing particularly on the capacity of ecosystems to adapt to and regenerate from disruptions.
In the natural sciences, an honorary doctoral degree will be conferred on Tuomo Suntola, PhD, known as the developer of atomic layer deposition. Suntola's invention plays a significant role in the manufacture of microelectronics, such as phone microprocessors and memory circuits.
An honorary doctorate in pharmacy will be conferred on Professor of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources Klaus Kümmerer from the Leuphana University Lüneburg. Kümmerer has promoted particularly the development of environmentally less harmful drugs.
In the educational sciences, Professor Kirsti Klette from the University of Oslo will receive the title of honorary doctor. She specialises in the study of teaching and learning in classroom environments, developing particularly the video documentation of teaching.
In the humanities, an honorary doctorate will be conferred on Professor of Literary Science Mats Malm from the University of Gothenburg. Malm is the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy and among the pioneers of digital humanities in the Nordic countries.
Faculty to confer honorary doctorates at the conferment ceremony
The 101st conferment ceremony of the Faculty of Philosophy will be held from 22 to 24 May 2025. University faculties bestow honorary doctorates at their conferment ceremonies. Confernment ceremonies are part of the academic tradition, where graduating masters and doctorates are formally conferred to their new academic rank.
Previously, honorary doctorates in philosophy have been bestowed on, among others, Former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, physicist Fabiola Gianotti and software developer Linus Torvalds.
