Doctoral degrees and honorary doctorates of the University of Tartu to be conferred on 27 May

On 27 May at 16, the conferment of doctoral degrees and honorary doctorates of the University of Tartu takes place. The ceremony can be watched online on UTTV. 

Traditionally, the doctoral conferment takes place on 1 December, the anniversary of Estonia's national university, but last year's ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic. The new doctoral graduates and honorary doctors will receive their diplomas at the ceremony at the university's assembly hall on 27 May. 

At its session of 29 May 2021, the university senate appointed four honorary doctorates: 

• Professor of the University of Turku Marja-Liisa Helasvuo was granted a UT honorary doctorate in linguistics for her outstanding contribution to the development of linguistic thought and her long-term cooperation with researchers of the University of Tartu; 

• Professor of the University of Konstanz Astrid Stadler was granted a UT honorary doctorate in law for her outstanding achievements in law and years of successful cooperation with the University of Tartu School of Law in forming the new generation of legal scholars. Her honorary degree will be conferred on 1 December 2022; 

• Research Director of the University of Helsinki and Director of its Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Academician, Professor Mart Saarma was granted a UT honorary doctorate in neuroscience for his outstanding achievements in research and long-term supportive and fruitful collaboration with researchers of the University of Tartu; 

• Joint Director of EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute John Frederick William Birney was granted a UT honorary doctorate in bioinformatics for his excellent research work, international cooperation, role as an advocate of open science, and long-term research cooperation with Estonia,  incl. support to University of Tartu researchers. 

From 3 December 2020 to 22 November 2021, 106 doctoral theses were defended at the University of Tartu.