Six new honorary doctorates at Stockholm University 2026

Law

Ugo Pagallo

Ugo Pagallo is a professor of legal theory and legal informatics at the University of Turin, Italy, and has conducted internationally leading research in legal philosophy, legal informatics, and the relationship between law and emerging technologies. His pioneering studies on artificial intelligence, robotics, and digitalization have had significant impact both within academia and in international policy processes. His work has contributed to the development of key legal and normative frameworks for understanding and regulating technological change in society.

“For us at the Faculty of Law, Ugo Pagallo has been far more than a leading international researcher. He has been an intellectual force who has profoundly influenced our faculty’s approach to law, technology, and society. Through his generosity, sharp intellect, and consistent presence at our seminars and doctoral programmes, he has helped shape both our field of research and generations of young lawyers. He has also served as a true bridge-builder between Stockholm University and the international research community, thereby strengthening our faculty’s position as a key centre for research in law and informatics,” says Mauro Zamboni, Professor of Jurisprudence at the Department of Law.

Humanities

Matti Bye

Matti Bye is a classically trained and widely experienced pianist, who has focused on silent film music for over three decades. He began collaborating with Cinemateket in 1989, and has performed at a number of international festivals. He has composed scores for Swedish silent classics such as Sir Arne’s Treasure, The Phantom Carriage, and The Saga of Gösta Berling.

“For cinema studies at Stockholm University, silent film has long been a leading research area, with a particular emphasis on the viewing experience. Each term, silent films are screened as originally intended, with live music by Bye, drawing large student audiences to Filmhuset. Bye’s extensive and inspirational work has significantly contributed to film studies by advancing research on the relationship between film and music, deepening understanding of the context of cinema screening and viewing, says Bo Florin, professor of Cinema Studies, Department of Media Studies.

Corinne Péneau

Corinne Péneau is a lecturer in medieval history at the Centre de Recherche Européenne Comparée at the Université Paris-Est Créteil, France. She defended her thesis on the Swedish Middle Ages at the Sorbonne in 2002: “Le roi élu, les pouvoirs politiques et leurs représentations”. Corinne Péneau has also translated the Chronicle of Erik and other Swedish medieval texts into French. In 2022, she published a large overview of the history of Stockholm, in French. Corinne Péneau’s scientific publications largely deal with Swedish medieval history and she has collaborated with the Centre for Medieval Studies at Stockholm University for several years. She is also a member of the foreign editorial board of the Swedish journal Historisk tidskrift.

“Through her research on the Swedish Middle Ages and her contacts with researchers at Stockholm University, Corinne Péneau has demonstrated how important a single individual can be for internationalisation in academia. Corinne Péneau has enabled French colleagues and students to become familiar with both the Swedish Middle Ages and Swedish medieval scholars, while at the same time giving teachers and researchers at Stockholm University the opportunity to learn about French research environments and teaching traditions,” says Elisabeth Elgán, Professor of History at the Department of History.

Social Sciences

Karen Evans

Karen Evans is a professor of education, University College London, United Kingdom. She is internationally recognised as one of the foremost scholars in adult education and lifelong learning, exerting significant influence on both theoretical development and policy formation at national and global levels. Her distinguished career has been acknowledged through major honours, including the European Commission Vocational Education Researcher Award. In 2024, she was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education (IACE) Hall of Fame.

“Through her dedicated collaboration with the Department of Education, Karen Evans has had a lasting influence on the research and development of our VETYL research group (Vocational Education and Training/Yrkeslärande), as well as on the research environment within the department as a whole,” says Marianne Teräs, Professor of Education at the Department of Education.

Science

Marie Ekeland

Marie Ekeland is a highly accomplished French entrepreneur and venture capital investor with experience in company building, innovation system development, and national public service aimed at promoting long-term societal resilience. She co-founded France Digitale, Europe’s largest advocacy organization for startups and venture capital investors, which plays a central role in strengthening Europe’s capacity for responsible innovation at scale. She has also served as Chair of the French Digital Council, an official advisory body to the French government tasked with guiding national strategy on digital transformation, ethics, and systemic risks.

“Marie Ekeland is unique among venture capital investors in her commitment to grounding investment frameworks in scientific research,” says Beatrice Crona, Professor and Science Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Stéphane Horel

Stéphane Horel is an investigative journalist at the French newspaper Le Monde, specializing in corporate harm, toxic industries and scientific disinformation. She has written several books and directed a dozen documentaries. Stéphane Horel has received several major awards, including the Louise Weiss Prize for European Journalism in 2017 and 2024, the European Press Prize for Investigation for the Monsanto Papers in 2018, and the European Science Journalist of the Year award in 2024. She is a key figure in cross border investigative journalism and has collaborated with, among others, Swedish journalists and researchers at Stockholm University. She coordinated the award-winning Forever Pollution Project on PFAS contamination in Europe and the Forever Lobbying Project, and she has presented her findings to policymakers in the Swedish Parliament.

“Through the Forever Pollution and Forever Lobbying projects, Stéphane Horel has demonstrated what becomes possible when investigative journalism is combined with scientific rigor. By coordinating cross border teams of journalists and researchers, including those at Stockholm University, she made the scale of PFAS contamination in Europe visible in a way that no scientific paper or policy report had achieved. Her work has fundamentally shifted the European conversation on PFAS pollution”, says Ian Cousins, Professor of Environmental Chemistry, Department of Environmental Science.

Who can be appointed Honorary Doctor?

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.

More information about honorary doctorates

Conferment ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on 25 September 2026

The honorary doctorates are conferred at the coming Inauguration and Conferment Ceremony in Stockholm City Hall, Friday 25 September.

More information about the Inauguration and Conferment Ceremony