The 17th Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business was held in May 2026
The 17th Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business was celebrated on 21–23 May 2026. The conferment is a traditional and dignified academic celebration in which newly graduated masters and doctors are inaugurated as part of the scientific community and, in accordance with tradition, recognised as its full members.
In addition to masters and doctors, the School of Business conferred ten Honorary Doctors as well as several Jubilee Masters and a Jubilee Doctor, who were originally conferred as masters and doctors fifty years ago, in 1976.
At the School of Business the Ceremonial Conferment is held every five years. The first Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business was organised 80 years ago, in 1946.
Three days of celebrations for the promovendi
For promovendi, the conferment festivities at the School of Business lasted three days, in accordance with the tradition. The leadership of Aalto University, the professors and lecturers of the School of Business and representatives of the School’s key stakeholders were invited to take part in the festivities on Friday.
The Laurel Wreath Weaving event and the Act of Conferment were held at Aalto University Töölö. The Act of Conferment was hosted by the Conferrer, Professor Markku Kuula. After the act, the promovendi and invited guests proceeded in a festive procession to the conferment service at Temppeliaukio Church or, alternatively, to a non-denominational ceremony at Botta Hall.
The conferment dinner was held at Dipoli. Formal speeches, musical performances by KYL’s double quartet and communal singing were enjoyed during delicious dinner, and the event concluded with academic dances, accompanied by the Boston Promenade Big Band. As the date turned to Saturday, the crowd continued the celebrations deeper into Otaniemi at Servin Mökki, and then, in the early morning as the sun rose, moved on to the amphitheatre steps of the Undergraduate Centre to sing the Finlandia hymn.
Gratista's Herring luncheon that concluded the conferment festivities was organised at Tapahtumatalo Bank on Unioninkatu. The main performer entertaining the cheerful business graduates and their companions at the event was artist Isaac Sene.
Once more, our warmest congratulations to all promovendi and a toast to the conferment tradition of the School of Business!
You can revisit the festive and fun conferment atmosphere by viewing the photos provided. The conferment publication and a few photos will also be added to this page during the summer.
School of Business Ceremonial Conferment 2026
The 17th Ceremonial Conferment of the School of Business was celebrated on May 21–23, 2026.
Read more news
Two webinars on effective communication and psychological safety in the workplace
The lectures explore effective communication, collaboration, psychological safety, and focused work in a university setting. They provide practical tools and research-based insights to support teamwork, creativity, and community well-being. Delivered by psychologist Marianne Vihervuori, the sessions are engaging, practical, and easy to follow.
Prototyping and Validation Grant: WeatherSens AI
Three Aalto founders are using off-the-shelf drones and an AI physics model to measure the weather where no station stands. First they had to learn when not to sell.
AI Spotlight 2/2026: New features and an upcoming translation tool in Aalto AI Assistant
Discover what’s new in Aalto AI Assistant and learn about the upcoming translation features.