Conferment Ceremonies of the Faculty of Theology, from the Royal Academy of Turku to the University of Helsinki, 1648–2023

Authors

• Tuomas Heikkilä Helsingfors universitet

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62442/ta.152134

Keywords:

Yliopisto, Promootio, Tohtorin tutkinto, Teologinen tiedekunta, Akateemiset perinteet, Turun Akatemia, Keisarillinen Aleksanterin-Yliopisto, Helsingin yliopisto, Historia

Abstract

This article examines the doctoral conferment ceremonies of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki and its predecessors, the
Imperial Alexander University and the Royal Academy of Turku, dating back to 1648. According to a medieval tradition still followed in Helsinki, the Faculty of Theology only confers doctoral degrees in conferment ceremonies. Until the 19th century, the doctoral degree was not a prerequisite for positions such as professorships, often functioning as an honorary title granted by the sovereign or the faculty. However, with the academic reforms of the 19th century, the completion of a dissertation and the attainment of the title of doctor became essential for advancing in the academic field. Consequently, conferment ceremonies evolved into personal career milestones as well as increasingly significant events, shaping the identity of the faculty and the discipline. While the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki has upheld age-old traditions, the format of its conferment ceremonies as we know them today only became standardised from the 1980s onwards. The previously popular smaller celebratory gatherings of the faculty have given way to the full-scale ceremonies of the conferral of doctoral degrees. The conferment ceremony is a living, and thus evolving, tradition. The article speculates that the subsequent development could involve including master’s degree graduates in the conferment ceremonies.