Image: Mattias Pettersson
As a jubilee doctor, you are warmly welcome to the Spring Graduation on 16-17 May 2025. You may choose if you wish to be conferred on site, or in your absence. Regardless of which, there are a few things you need to know and do before the Spring Graduation.
A jubilee doctor is a doctor that earnt their doctoral degree 50 years ago.
We hope that you want to participate in the 2025 Spring Graduation and to do so you need to register. You can be conferred at the Ceremony or in your absence. The programme below is for jubilee doctors conferred at the Ceremony.
You will receive an invitation to register via email or by mail in the end of January 2025.
If you have any questions about your registration, or if you do not wish to be conferred to jubilee doctor, please contact us at promotion@umu.se.
When you are conferred in your absence, you do not participate in any of the events, but your name will be presented in the programme publication and you will be mentioned and conferred in your absence at the Ceremony. After the event, you will receive a diploma by post. The Spring Graduation Ceremony will be broadcast live on umu.se/live if you wish to see it.
Acquire your doctoral insignia
If you belong to the Faculty of Medicine, (including the former Faculty of Odontology) you will be conferred with a doctoral hat. Take the hat with you to the rehearsal. If you do not have a hat, you can borrow one from someone who has previously been conferred, or buy a new one.
If you belong to one of the other faculties, you will be conferred with a laurel wreath. The University will order a laurel wreath on your behalf once you have registered for which you will be invoiced after the Spring Graduation. The cost for the laurel wreath was SEK 550 in 2024. You will try on the laurel wreath at the rehearsal.
Prepare your attire according to the dress codes
The Graduation Ceremony requires a certain dress code for guests of honour, but also for your guests. This means that you need to wear formal attire (white tie) for some of the events. You can purchase, hire or borrow clothes. Please make sure to prepare in good time before the Spring Graduation.
Learn what dress codes apply for each event.
Please contact us at promotion@umu.se if you have questions about your attire or where to hire your attire.
Cost of the Spring Banquet and other practical issues
The faculty will pay for you and one accompanying guest to attend the Spring Banquet.
If you wish to invite additional guests, you need to cover the costs of their cover charge: SEK 950 per adult and SEK 650 per child under the age of 18. After the Spring Graduation, you will receive an invoice of these costs to the address you have stated in your registration.
Any costs incurred by obtaining clothing suitable to the dress code, for travel or accommodation, you need to cover yourself. If travel, accommodation or clothing is needed it is up to you to make the arrangements.
MANDATORY REHEARSAL
At 10:00–11:30 (approximate finishing time) in Aula Nordica
No dress code
It is mandatory to participate in the rehearsal if you wish to be conferred on site. At the rehearsal, you will go through the Ceremony and practise the procession, taking your seat on stage and the procedures during the conferment ceremony.
Need for assistance in the procession
The procession proceeds into Aula Nordica, down a number of steps of the auditorium and then up a few steps onto the stage. If you wish, a student marshal can walk beside you during the procession. It is also possible to join the procession just before it walks up on stage, or join the stage from the VIP lounge just behind the stage. If you need assistance, please make a note of this in your registration or email us at promotion@umu.se.
Bring your doctoral hat and try out your laurel wreath
Jubilee doctors of the Faculty of Medicine (including the former Faculty of Odontology) must bring your doctoral hat to the rehearsal.
If you are a doctor of any of the other faculties, you will get to try out your laurel wreath after the rehearsal.
VICE-CHANCELLOR'S RECEPTION
At 18:00–20:00 in restaurant Bygden in Umeå Arts Campus
Dress code: Business informal attire
The Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University invites jubilee doctors and doctors to a reception the day before the Spring Graduation Ceremony. You are welcome to bring one guest. Drinks and snacks are served. Registration is needed.
MANDATORY PROCESSION RECEPTION
At 15:00 in restaurant Hjortron, Universum
Dress code: Formal attire (white tie)
At the mandatory Procession Reception, jubilee doctors and doctors participating in the Ceremony get a chance to meet other guests of honour before lining up for the procession into Aula Nordica.
Your guests will not attend the Procession Reception but are instead welcome to mingle with other guests before taking their seats in the auditorium around 15:30 when the doors open.
MANDATORY SPRING GRADUATION CEREMONY
At 16:00 in Aula Nordica
Dress code for jubilee doctors: Formal attire (white tie)
The Spring Graduation Ceremony starts by jubilee doctors and doctors walking in procession to their seats on stage, where you will remain during the Ceremony. This year the Ceremony starts with the inauguration of the University's new Vice-Chancellor. Jubilee doctors and doctors will be conferred faculty-wise by receiving their doctoral insignia after the inauguration.
The Ceremony is open to the public and will generally take between 1.5 and 2 hours.
SPRING BANQUET
At 18:00 in restaurant Lingon, Universum
Dress code: Formal attire (white tie) or semi-formal attire
The Spring Banquet for registered guests starts with a glass of bubbly beverage straight after the Ceremony. Starter, main course and dessert will be served with wine or non-alcoholic options. Pre-registered speeches will be held over the course of the evening. After coffee is served, the dance floor opens up to music by Renhornen.
Children at the Ceremony and Banquet
The Ceremony takes about 1.5–2 hours and we do not recommend young children to attend. However, if younger children still need to attend the Ceremony it is important to request special seating, so that the child can easily be brought outside if necessary.
The Banquet lasts 3–4 hours and it can be a long time for a child to sit quietly and still. But children are different and parents are best at determining what their child is capable of. At the Banquet, children are served the same food as adults, except for alcoholic beverages.
Doctoral insignia are the symbolic items awarded the doctor at the doctoral conferment: a doctoral hat or laurel wreath, and diploma.
Doctoral hat
All jubilee doctors on site from the Faculty of Medicine (including the former Faculty of Odontology), you will be conferred with a doctoral hat. Take the hat with you to the rehearsal. Here are some suggestions if you do not already have a doctoral hat.
Borrow a hat
You can borrow a doctoral hat from someone who has been conferred in previous years. Ask your colleagues or friends about this in ample time. A black doctoral hat from other universities is also acceptable.
Buy a hat
You can buy a doctoral hat at your own expense. Contact promotion@umu.se if you wish to know what hat suppliers are available.
Learn more about what hat emblem you should have.
Laurel wreath
All jubilee doctors on site from the Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, or the former Faculty of Philosophy, are conferred with a laurel wreath witch the University will order. The cost will be invoiced to the jubilee doctor after the Spring Graduation. A laurel wreath cost SEK 550 in 2024. The laurel wreath is adjustable and will be tried on at the rehearsal.
Diploma
The diploma is a gift from the faculty. Jubilee doctors participating on site will receive their diplomas at the Ceremony. Jubilee doctors conferred in their absence will receive their diplomas by post after the Spring Graduation.
Maps to the buildings
On campus in the Universum building
Umeå Arts Campus
This is a short film that describes what happens on stage at the Spring Graduation Ceremony. The film is in Swedish and has English subtitles. Choose subtitles and language through the cogwheel icon.