At Åbo Akademi University, many academic traditions are a natural part of the university’s activities. These traditions date back to the time of the Royal Academy of Turku (1640), which in turn took inspiration from Uppsala University.
Academic Day
The Academic Day is traditionally celebrated to commemorate the founding of the old Åbo Akademi University in 1640 and to demonstrate the good cooperation between the current universities in Turku. The day is jointly celebrated by the universities in Turku on March 26th. The universities take turns hosting the event.
Opening of the academic year
One of the oldest university traditions, alongside the promotion ceremony, is the opening of the academic year that marks the beginning of the academic year. All universities begin their academic year with a opening ceremony.
The first opening ceremony in Finland took place in 1640, when the predecessor, the Royal Academy of Turku, was inaugurated. At the new Åbo Akademi (Academia Aboensis Rediviva), founded in 1918, the first opening ceremony for the new academic term was held on January 15, 1919, in the solemn hall of the Old Academy Building. Since then, the matriculation ceremony has been held in September to mark the beginning of the academic year.
The tradition is being held on both our campuses, in Vaasa and in Turku.
The program in Turku includes a service at Turku Cathedral, followed by the opening ceremony in the solemn hall of the Old Academy Building. The program in Vaasa includes a service at Trefaldighetskyrkan, followed by the opening ceremony in the Academy Hall at Academill.
Professorial inauguration
A professorial inauguration is a ceremony for the university’s newly appointed Professors to be installed in their new offices. The professorial inauguration lectures are open for the public.
Conferral Ceremony
Åbo Akademi University invites all those who have completed their doctoral degrees to take part in the formal conferral ceremony if they have not already done so. At the ceremony, those who have completed their doctoral degrees are conferred with the title of Doctor and receive the insignia for their respective degrees. Honorary Doctors and Jubilee Doctors are also conferred at the ceremony.
The Latin verb promovere means to “move forward” or “promote”. The conferment is bestowed upon a person, the promovendus, by the conferrer. The conferrer also presents the insignia to the promovendus.
The conferral ceremony can trace its roots back to the earliest universities in Europe. Åbo Akademi University has retained a number of the conferral traditions from the Royal Academy of Turku (founded in 1640).
The conferment ritual at Åbo Akademi University consists of the act of conferment itself, a ceremonial procession, conferral service and banquet. The conferrers speak Latin when greeting the promovendi and presenting the insignia. The sceptres, which symbolise the legal freedom of the seat of learning, are carried at the front of the procession. In earlier times, conferment also had legal significance. Today, the ceremony is primarily symbolic, with each Doctor choosing whether he or she wants to participate in it.
The conferment ceremony tradition at Åbo Akademi University dates back to 1927. In the 1900s, conferment ceremonies were held for both Master’s and Doctor’s degrees by individual faculties or university as a whole. In the 2000s, the university has organised joint conferment ceremonies for doctoral degrees every other year or every third year.
Åbo Akademi University has conferred Honorary Doctor degrees at every conferment ceremony since 1927. A list of the Åbo Akademi University Honorary Doctors can be found here.