Honorary doctorates
The awarding of an honorary doctorate is an expression of the University's appreciation of outstanding contributions in one or more of the University's areas of academic activity.
Honorary doctorates 2025: Thomas von Heijne, Åsa Simma, Patrizia Calefato, Gita Mishra, Mats Melin and Philippe Aghion. Photo: Marika von Heijne, Anette Nantell, Giuseppe Corcelli, Jenny Cuerel, Annika Ström Melin and Harvard University.
An honorary doctorate is an expression of the University’s appreciation of outstanding contributions in one or more of the University’s areas of academic activity. The awarded honorary doctor should be affiliated with Stockholm University or have contributed to the University’s activities in some way.
The Deputy Vice President appoints the honorary doctors for the academic area after proposals from and discussions within the faculties.
Honorary doctorates 2026
Stockholm University’s honorary doctorates 2026 will be announced in April.
Conferment ceremony on 25 September 2026
The honorary doctorates will be conferred at the Inauguration and Conferment Ceremony in Stockholm City Hall, Friday 25 September 2026 at 17.00.
Inauguration of New Professors and Conferment of Doctoral Degrees
Who can be appointed honorary doctor?
The proposed person should be affiliated with the University as an honorary doctorate is an expression of the appreciation of outstanding contributions in one of the university’s academic areas. Honorary doctorates may not be awarded in return for financial contributions, gifts and the like.
A person who has already been awarded a PhD in Sweden within a certain academic area may not be awarded an honorary doctorate in the same area. It is, however, quite possible to appoint a doctor of philosophy, for example, to an honorary doctor of Laws and vice versa. It is not usual that someone be appointed an honorary doctorate at the same university that he or she graduated from.There is no requirement that an honorary doctor has obtained an academic degree.
In the case of foreign nationals with a foreign degree, there is no obstacle to awarding an honorary doctorate in the same area as the foreign degree.
The proposed person should not be an honorary doctor in the same field at another university or higher education institution in Sweden. However, a person may, for example, be an honorary doctor of philosophy at one university and honorary doctor of medicine at another.
An honorary doctorate cannot be awarded posthumously.
Honorary doctors, previous years
The first honorary doctors were appointed at Stockholm University, then Stockholm University College, in 1909.
List of Stockholm University’s honorary doctors from 1994 onwards
Contact
E-mail: doktorspromotion@su.se
Ingrid Harris, Master of Ceremonies
Phone: +46-8-164908
Visiting Address:
Spökslottet, Drottninggatan 116
Postal address:
Stockholm University
Office of the President
SE-106 91 Stockholm
Last updated: 2026-04-17
Source: Office of the President (MCW)