Solemn Celebration of Jubilee Doctors
– You have contributed to the great advances that have made society better and have taken responsibility for our shared future. It is therefore with pride and humility that I confer upon you the title of Jubilee Doctor at the University of Gothenburg.
With these words, Vice-Chancellor Malin Broberg opened the solemn Jubilee Doctor ceremony, held on the 12th of September in the university’s main building.
The purpose of the Jubilee Doctor ceremony is to highlight and celebrate those who defended their doctoral theses 50 years ago. This time it was those from 1975, a year marked by many important events, Malin Broberg explained in her speech.
– The Instrument of Government was amended so that the king received a more symbolic role, the voting age was lowered to 18, and wearing seatbelts became mandatory. In Stockholm, the German Embassy was occupied, the Vietnam War ended, and the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia.
– Your dissertation also marked the beginning of something new for all of you, after which you have devoted many years to other fields, such as health care, education, or business. You have continuously had to develop new ways of working and address the new questions posed by technological progress.
Many speakers
Promoters Gunnel Hensing, Professor of Social Medicine, and Richard Neutze, Professor of Biochemistry, carried out the conferment of the Jubilee Doctors. Afterwards, Agnes Nyberg, Vice Chair of the University of Gothenburg’s Student Unions, delivered a speech:
– The circumstances that prevailed when you defended your theses in 1975 differ greatly from the situation students face today: at that time, there were no search engines for information and no AI tools to correct proofreading errors. But the academic environment that we students now encounter is one you have helped to create, and it is an honor for us students to receive what you have contributed and hopefully carry it forward.
Helena Hedman (vocals) and Sanna Poranen (piano) – both trained at the Academy of Music and Drama – performed pieces by Alma Mahler and Ture Rangström.
After the ceremony, transportation was arranged to the Wallenberg Conference Center, where a festive dinner awaited.
What does it feel like to be a Jubilee Doctor, Ann-Mari Svennerholm?
– 1975 is, of course, many years ago, but I feel that I still have much left to do. Together with my husband, Jan Holmgren, I have conducted extensive research in developing countries and, among other things, developed the oral cholera vaccine Dukoral. Right now, we are working on another vaccine against diarrhea caused by toxin-producing E. coli bacteria, says Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Text: Eva Lundgren
- The Jubilee Doctor ceremony at the University of Gothenburg is an annual event that began in 2021 to honor those who defended their doctoral theses at the university 50 years earlier.
- At this year’s celebration, held on the 12th of September, 27 Jubilee Doctors participated.