The School of Business’s Ceremonial Conferment of degrees will bring festive atmosphere to the streets of Töölö in May

Aalto University School of Business will celebrate its 17th Conferment Ceremony on 21–23 May 2026. The conferment is a traditional and dignified academic celebration at which newly graduated Masters and Doctors are inaugurated into the scholarly community and, in keeping with tradition, accepted as its full members. According to tradition, one may participate in the conferment only once, that is, in the first ceremony held after graduation.

In addition to Masters and Doctors, the School of Business will confer ten Honorary Doctors as well as Jubilee Masters and Doctors – those who were conferred as Masters and Doctors fifty years ago, in 1976.

The title of Honorary Doctor will be given to the following distinguished individuals: Professor W. Robert Knechel, Professor Xueming Luo, Professor George Mailath, Professor Claus Munk, Executive Director Arto Mäenmaa, President of the Republic Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb (conferred in absentia), Business leader and board professional Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, Board professional Salla Vainio, Professor emeritus Gyula Vastag and Professor emerita Eleanor Westney.

The main day of the conferment is Friday 22 May

The School of Business conferment is a three-day celebration that includes, among other events, the weaving of the laurels, the conferment act and procession, a dinner, and the conferment ball. On the final day of the conferment, Saturday, the traditional herring luncheon – “sillis” – takes place.

The conferment act, beginning at 12:00 on Friday 22 May, is the main event of the festivities. In the ceremony, Masters and Doctors are inaugurated into the scholarly community. The conferment act will be held in the Aalto University Töölö Assembly Hall, Runeberginkatu 14–16, and the event will last about two hours.

The conferment act can be followed via livestream: https://player.video.wowza.com/hosted/xdwbznvw/player.html

After the conferment act, the promovendi and invited guests (about 400 people in total) will proceed in a festive procession either to the conferment service at Temppeliaukio Church or, alternatively, to a non-denominational event at Botta’s Grand Hall (Bottan Juhlasali). The impressive procession will depart from in front of Aalto University Töölö at around 14:15. The procession will cross Runeberginkatu and continue along Lutherinkatu to Temppeliaukio Church. Other traffic on Runeberginkatu and Lutherinkatu will be stopped while the procession moves along the streets to its destination.

Watching the impressive conferment procession is an open part of the festivities for everyone.

At the School of Business, the conferment is held every five years. The School of Business held its first conferment 80 years ago, in 1946.