A ceremony of its time

A ceremonyof its time

For the first time ever, Uppsala University’s Conferment Ceremony has been conducted entirely in absentia – that is, remotely. “It went better than I hoped; given the circumstances, it was an undoubted success,” says Martin Mickelsson, one of the new doctors who turned out well-dressed in suit and cravat.

text ANDERS BERNDT photo MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

Martin Mickelsson arranged a big-screen live broadcast at home, for a grand experience.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the spring 2021 Conferment Ceremony was broadcast live without the physical attendance of those involved. Although the ceremony itself was conducted remotely, the traditional cannon salute was still fired in central Uppsala, leaving the distinctive smell of gunpowder hanging over the University Main Building long after the ceremony concluded. As is customary, the threecannon salute was fired by members of military cultural history association the Jämtland Field Artillery, clad in uniforms dating from 1873.

“Most of my fellow doctoral graduates chose to postpone their conferment,” says Mickelsson, “but I will soon be leaving for Zimbabwe to conduct a postdoctoral project and will be abroad until 2024, so I would otherwise miss the window for conferment.”

THE DOCTORAL CONFERMENT CEREMONY is a symbolic transition, usually held in the Grand Auditorium. On this occasion, however, conferees and guests followed the ceremony online from home or elsewhere. Only the Vice-Chancellor, degree conferrers, ceremonial staff and the field artillery observer were present in the auditorium.

Martin Mickelsson was alone in his apartment during the ceremony; however, he succeeded in creating a social experience by inviting friends, family and colleagues to join him in a Zoom virtual meeting room, where he also streamed the live broadcast.

“This way, more people could participate, making it more accessible. Perhaps fifteen or twenty people popped in during the hours that the ceremony lasted and we were able to speak to one another, raise a glass and reflect on the ceremony, instead of getting stiff sitting in the auditorium,” Mickelsson says with a smile.

MARTIN’S VISITORS IN the Zoom room included colleagues from Latvia, as well as several from Campus Gotland who had never had the opportunity to attend a conferment ceremony in the University Main Building.

“Several people have been in touch since to say how much they enjoyed participating via my Zoom room. Many of them were pleasantly surprised by how good the results were,” says Mickelsson with a chuckle.

Laurel wreaths are usually bound for new doctors in the ‘philosophical’ faculties, but not this year. This left Martin Mickelsson with no laurel wreath to put on during the ceremony.

“I did miss out on that, unfortunately. My mother also has a doctorate from a philosophical faculty and she still has her laurel wreath. Still, I can understand that the logistics were insurmountable.”

HAVING RECEIVED their badges of honour, the new doctors are usually guided by the degree conferrer across Parnassus, the podium used in the conferment ceremony.

“Although it was different this year, the ceremony was held with due solemnity. My mother, who has personally been through the ceremony, noted that I had the entire speech and music to myself, as I was the only new doctor from my faculty. I was not one among many. I also arranged to show the live broadcast on the big screen here at home, so it was rather grand from my perspective,” chortles Martin Mickelsson. ●

Footnote: At the time of publication, the laurel wreath issue has been successfully resolved. After fact-checking the article, ceremony staff arranged for Martin Mickelsson to receive a laurel wreath.

Bottoms up – at a safe distance. Martin Mickelsson invited friends, family, colleagues and collaborators to a Zoom room where he streamed the live broadcast.

Doctoral Conferment Ceremony

Although Uppsala University normally holds two Doctoral Conferment Ceremonies each year, because of the pandemic it was not possible to hold ceremonies in May 2020 or January 2021.

During a solemn ceremony in the auditorium of the University Main Building, new doctors are presented with their badges of honour: a doctoral hat or laurel wreath, and a diploma.

When the new doctor is guided across Parnassus, symbol of the sacred mountain of the Greek gods, it symbolises their endowment with the right to teach academically.

Climate-smart food grown here

SUSTAINABILITY Uppsala University Campus Garden is a project to build an on-campus vegetable garden, with the ultimate aim of reducing the University’s carbon footprint.

“We are creating a garden in a previously unused space on Villavägen, using recycled materials and waste-free solutions,” explain project managers Sagnik Sinha Roy and Otilia Björndahl João. The pair are inspired by permaculture principles and their aim is to integrate the garden with existing ecosystems.

“We hope to involve and engage various stakeholders and levels within the University and the community in order to promote sustainability, awareness, reflection and a sense of community. Given our interdisciplinary background, the garden’s objectives are both ecological and social.”

Sagnik Sinha Roy and Otilia Björndahl João applied to the Uppsala University climate pot with the idea of jointly creating a garden – and were granted funding. The Climate Change Leadership (CCL) node has also contributed funding, while landlord Akademiska Hus has lent the land.

Project managers Sagnik Sinha Roy and Otilia Björndahl João (centre) with some of the volunteers

Genuine bluebuck horns

CULTURAL HERITAGE The bluebuck is one of the rarest animals in museum collections of extinct mammals. DNA tests have now shown that museum specimens are even rarer than previously thought, with only four examples. The Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm has a genuine mounted skin with horns. The Museum of Evolution in Uppsala has a pair of horns mounted on a plaque, which are also genuine according to the DNA test.

Letters from Segerstedt

LITERATURE The private papers of professor, academician and long-serving vice-chancellor of Uppsala University Torgny T. Segerstedt (1908–1999) are now available to researchers, students and the public through the University Library. Segerstedt’s archive contains material from the 1930s until the 1990s, including some 4,500 letters, 900 speeches and lectures, biographical information, diaries, manuscripts and much else.

AHLGREN W JOHAN PHOTO:

In this way, one can scale up psychology expertise and help many more people experience meaningfulness. In theory, a more meaningful life can be a factor in shielding people from issues such as minor forms of depression or anxiety disorder.”

Mamduh Halawa, Uppsala Student of the Year 2020, developer of the Zeeds app that creates meaningful habits.