New doctors and honorary doctors graduated in Stockholm City Hall

Some 900 guests, supervisors and families along with the KI management and honoured guests gathered in the Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall on 22 May to celebrate the graduation of 126 new doctors and four honorary doctors.

Present were the new honorary doctors of medicine Tak W Mak, professor at Toronto University, Canada; Bertil Hållsten, doctor of economics and founder of the Hållsten Research Foundation; Barry Everitt, professor of neurological behavioural science at the University of Cambridge, UK; and Mariam Claeson, director of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA.

The four honorary doctors were presented with a hat and a diploma and honoured with a cannon salute from the City Hall quayside before the student ceremonial stewards led, in turn, each of the 126 new doctors by the arm to receive their own symbols of graduation, the hat and the diploma. Once the applause of the guests had faded amongst the spring flowers that decorated the hall, it was time to pass into the Golden Hall for the banquet.

Tak W Mak held a speech on behalf of the honorary doctors and directed particular words of hope to the new doctors: “Thanks to you, beautiful blossoms are in the future”.

Photo credit: Ulf Sirborn