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Mayor of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä, Artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila and 13 other influencers in the fields of technology, art and society are awarded an honorary doctorate at Aalto University

Aalto University’s doctoral conferment ceremonies for the fields of art and technology will take place 13 and 14 June 2019 in Dipoli in Otaniemi. Honorary doctors’ panel discussion will be held 11 June.
Promootio_2018_akti_sorjonen

Honorary doctorates of art will be awarded to:

  • Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Visual artist and filmmaker
  • Jacob Buur, Professor of User-Centred Design, University of Southern Denmark
  • Helena Hyvönen, Professor Emerita, Textile Artist
  • Leena Iisakkila, Landscape Architect
  • Kari Korkman, Director, Founder, Helsinki Design Week
  • Irit Rogoff, Professor of Visual Culture, Goldsmiths, University of London
  • Gerfried Stocker, Artistic and Managing Director, Ars Electronica
  • Daniel Thawley, Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, A Magazine Curated By

Honorary doctorates of technology will be awarded to:

  • Matti Kauhanen, Director of Technology, ABB
  • Arvo Kokkonen, Director General, National Land Survey of Finland
  • Enrique J. Lavernia, Professor, University of California
  • Marja Makarow, Director, Biocenter Finland
  • Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of City of Espoo
  • Jussi Pesonen, Managing Director, UPM Oy
  • Markku Tilli, Research Director, Okmetic Oy

An honorary doctorate is the highest honour a university can award. A ceremonial conferment is the most distinguished celebration of a university. In the conferment ceremony, doctors and honorary doctors from different fields of science are conferred their doctorates. In the conferment ceremonies for arts, people with Master’s degrees are also awarded, unlike in the field of technology. The idea behind the ceremonial conferment is that those who have earned their degree are accepted as full members of their scientific community and are introduced to that community.

Welcome to a panel discussion ‘Future of university as a hub of creativity, heritage, and innovation’ at Aalto University 11 June with Jacob Buur, Kari Korkman, Marja Makarow, Jukka Mäkelä and Gerfried Stocker. The discussion will focus on the role, significance and the potential of the university campus in the future. The event venue is Dipoli, auditorium Lumituuli at 1–3 pm. and it will be in English. Free admission.

The conferment ceremony of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture will take place 13 June and the conferment ceremony for the field of technology 14 June. The technology conferment ceremony includes Aalto University’s four schools of technology: The School of Engineering, the School of Chemical Engineering, the School of Science and the School of Electrical Engineering.

The conferment ceremonies are part of Aalto University's Ceremony Week.

More information:

  • Project Manager Tatu Pohjola, Aalto University, tatu.pohjola@aalto.fi, +358 50 576 0125
  • Communications Specialist Anne Tapanainen, Aalto University, anne.tapanainen@aalto.fi, +358 50 434 9711

Photo: Heli Sorjonen, Aalto-yliopisto

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