Academic events and traditions

Honorary doctors at Aalto University

On this page, you can find all honorary doctors who have been conferred at Aalto University after 2010, or before that at Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. The honorary doctors from recent years are presented with pictures and from earlier years as a pdf file.

Honorary doctors in technology (2018–2024)

    Honorary Doctors 2024

    Honorary doctors in technology 2024 (from left to right): Marjo Yliperttula, Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, Petteri Alinikula, Ashok Kumar and Cecilia Tortajada. 

    Aalto University Honorary doctors 2023

    Honorary doctors in technology 2023 (from left to right):Jyri Kosola, Arto Nurmikko, Hubert Girault, Tuula Antola, Minna Karstunen, Ari Niemelä, Kurt Mehlhorn

    DHC 2020-2022, Dean Kruus and Provost Mäkelä

    Honorary doctors in technology 2020-2022 (from left to right):

    • First row: Dean Kristiina Kruus, Luisa Coutinho, Tuula Teeri, Marjo Miettinen, Jürgen Mlynek, Anjana Devi, Antti-Pekka Jauho, Provost Kristiina Mäkelä
    • Second row: Juha Kostiainen, Tuomas Tenkanen, Mårten Mickos, Juan Mosig
    2019 Honorary Doctors

    Honorary doctors in technology 2019 (from left to right): Jukka Mäkelä, Matti Kauhanen, Enrique Lavernia, Jussi Pesonen, Maria Makarow, Markku Tilli and Arvo Kokkonen.

    Honorary Doctors in Technology 2018

    Honorary doctors in technology 2018 (from left to right): Ichiro Terasaki, Hüseyin Şehitoğlu, Risto Sillasmaa, Lea Kauppi, Kaarina Löfström, John Shawe-Taylor and Jon Crowcoft.

    Honorary doctors in economic sciences (2011–2022)

      BIZ honorary doctors 2022

      Honorary doctors in economic sciences 2022 (from left to right): Renée B. Adams, Elina Björklund, Salvador Carmone, Taavi Heikkilä, Petteri Karttunen, Pekka Laaksonen, John A. List, Michael D. Myers, Linda Putnam

      Honorary Doctors, Biz, 2016

      Honorary doctors in economic sciences 2016 (from left to right): Eric Arnould, Janez Potocnik, Sari Baldauf, Ann Langley, Udo Zander, Kari Jordan, Herbert Moskowitz, Sauli Niinistö, Alnoor Bhimani and Harrison Hong.

      Honorary doctors, BIZ, 2011

      Honorary doctors in economic sciences 2011 (from left to right): Dong-Sung Cho, Mark Grinblatt, Arto Hiltunen, Sirkka Järvenpää, Erkki Liikanen, Jussi Pajunen, Torsten Persson, Heikki Timonen and Maarit Toivanen-Koivisto.

      Honorary doctors in arts, design and architecture (2013–2025)

        ARTS Honorary Doctors 2025

        Honorary doctors in arts, design and architecture 2025 (from left to right): Kim Simonsson, Ann Light, Ute Meta Bauer, Joel Sanders, Rafaela Seppälä and Timo Salminen

        ARTSPromootio2019_DHCkaikki

        Honorary doctors in arts, design and architecture 2019 (from left to right): Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Helena Hyvönen, Jacob Buur, Irit Rogoff, Kari Korkman, Daniel Thawley, Leena Iisakkila and Gerfried Stocker.

        Honorary doctors, ARTS, 2013

        Honorary doctors in arts, design and architecture 2013 (from left to right): Yrjö Sotamaa, Ezio Manzini, Rachel Cooper, Arūnas Gelūnas, Mauri Kunnas, Pirjo Honkasalo and Olavi Linden.

        Read more about honorary doctors

        tohtorinhattu, Kauppakorkeakoulu
        University Published:

        The School of Business will confer ten Honorary Doctors at its May 2026 Ceremonial Conferment – this prestigious celebration is held every five years

        The first Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business was held in 1946, so the 17th Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business will take place in spring 2026
        Six individuals in academic regalia, wearing black outfits with blue hats and sashes, standing indoors.
        Awards and Recognition, University Published:

        Honorary Doctors in Arts and Design 2025

        The School of Arts, Design and Architecture has granted the title of Honorary Doctor to six distinguished professionals in the fields of art and design.
        Kaksi mieshenkilöä juhlapuvuissa kiltalippujen edessä
        Awards and Recognition, University Published:

        68 doctors, five honorary doctors - see photos from the conferment of Doctoral Degrees in Technology

        The Ceremonial Conferment of Doctoral Degrees in Technology 2024 took place on Friday 14 June at Dipoli.
        Honorary Professor Ashok Kumar
        Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

        Ashok Kumar, the new Honorary Doctor in Technology, is a pioneer in bioengineering

        Professor Ashok Kumar is a globally awarded researcher and pioneer in bioengineering.
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