An evening of celebration at the spring conferment ceremony
On May 12 more than 850 people gathered at Stockholm City Hall to celebrate Karolinska Institutet’s 152 new doctors and honorary doctors Wilhelmina Hoffman and Fredrik Lundberg.
President Annika Östman Wernerson opened her speech by reflecting on the meaning of the ceremony.
“[We are here] to recognize and applaud you and your accomplishments. Your tireless work and dedication. The culmination of your efforts to expand your knowledge, improve your skills and to contribute to the field of medicine,” Annika Östman Wernerson said.
The event is one of two annual conferment ceremonies in which students receive their doctor’s hats and diplomas for achieving the highest academic degree, a doctorate. It is a formal event where people dress in full evening gowns and frocks and it is followed by a banquet and dance.
Honorary doctors praised for being role models and benefactors
The ceremony also included the conferment of titles on KI’s new honorary doctors of medicine: Wilhelmina Hoffman, CEO of Silviahemmet and the Swedish Dementia Centre, for increasing our knowledge and understanding about dementia and dementia care, and Fredrik Lundberg, businessman and CEO of L E Lundbergföretagen, for his long-term financial support and dedication to medical research.
Marie Arsenian-Henriksson, academic vice president for research, applauded the honorary doctors for contributing to research by being “role models and benefactors.”
“Progression in medicine is based primarily on scientific findings but the advancement in health and health care also requires innovation, education, and effective clinical implementation” she said.
Christine Reus held the PhD conferment ceremony speech on behalf of her fellow doctors at the banquet, imploring them to remember their educational journey and to never give up.
“Wherever your Ph.D. will take you, to brighter futures and careers, for sure, remember to remain humble and grateful. Access to knowledge is still denied to many around the world,” she said.
Photos from the conferment ceremony
