Participation
By which date must I return my Master’s thesis in order to participate?
You must graduate by 26th of May 2023. You need to check from your own department or faculty by which date you must return your Master’s thesis in order to graduate on time. Remember to also check the deadline for leaving the graduation request to receive your degree certificate.
If I am conferred in absentia this year, can I later take part again in person?
Unfortunately you can not, if the degree in question is the same as before. Each academic rank can only be conferred once. If you are conferred in absentia, you cannot participate in the conferment ceremony in person for the same academic degree again.
I was already conferred in a previous Conferment Ceremony. Can I participate again?
It is only possible to take part in the Conferment Ceremony once per degree. If you were conferred a Master’s degree in your first Conferment Ceremony and have since graduated as a Doctor, you can participate as a Doctor promovendus. Each academic rank can only be conferred once
I graduated as a Master and as a Doctor earlier, and I have never taken part in the Conferment Ceremony. Can I still do so, and if yes, will I be conferred a Master or a Doctor?
Yes, you are warmly welcome to participate! You will be conferred based on your highest degree in the Conferment Ceremony. If you have completed your doctorate by the aforementioned deadline, you will be conferred a Doctor, regardless of whether you have been conferred a Master previously or not.
I would like to take part in the Conferment Act, the act rehearsal and the Conferment Dinner, but not the other events. Is it possible?
Participation in the Conferment Ceremony is either for all 3 days of events from the 25th to the 27th of May, or just in the Conferment Act on Friday the 26th and the act rehearsal on the day before. The options have been limited to the two abovementioned because the Conferment Ceremony is a 3-day event as a whole, not just a collection of separate events. The registration for the Flora’s Day on the 13th of May is, however, separate from the other events and it is open for all participants to register.
Registration
Who can participate as my companion? Can I participate without a companion?
The Conferment Committee does not wish to set restrictions on the choice of companion (avec), and the companion can well be a friend or a relative of the promovendus, for example. However, the companion should be over the age of 18. You are also free to participate without a companion. If you are a Master promovendus without a companion, the official wreath-weaver and the Conferment Committee will craft your laurel wreath for you.
Are all the events in the Conferment Ceremony accessible?
The venues for the conferment events have been selected with accessibility in mind. The events are held in different environments, also partly outdoors. Therefore, accessibility might be limited in some venues. We will present detailed information about accessibility within the programme. If you have any questions regarding the accessibility of the venues, please do not hesitate to contact the Conferment Committee.
Can I rent or borrow a sword from somewhere?
It is possible to borrow a sword from the university. If you wish to do so, please contact the Conferment Committee at fil-promootio@helsinki.fi in the beginning of May at the latest. The conferment committee will take care of the arrangements on behalf of the Doctor promovendi.
During the Conferment Ceremony
What should I wear for each event?
There is a specific dress code for each event which must be followed by the participants in detail. The exact dress codes are listed and explained under the page Dress Code.
Can my family come to follow the Conferment Act?
The Conferment Act will be held in the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki, which has a limited number of seats available. Therefore, we can’t guarantee that the families of the promovendi can fit in before we know the exact number of participating promovendi. We will inform the promovendi about possible free seats during the spring, and the seats will be allocated in May, if there are any.
Are taking photographs and video allowed during the Conferment Ceremony?
The Conferment Committee will arrange a photographer to be present at all events. Details regarding the distribution of the photos as well as of the distribution and sale of the commemorative book will be announced to the promovendi after the festivities.
To maintain the right atmosphere, taking photographs or videos is absolutely forbidden during the Conferment Act in the Great Hall. Promovendi are asked to inform any friends and relatives attending the events about the rules regarding photography.
Can I take part in the dances at the Conferment Ball, even if I am unable to take part in the dance practice sessions?
The practice sessions are compulsory if you want to participate in the Doctoral Polonaise or the Masters’ Contredanse Française. The other dances are open to everyone, and it is possible to participate in them even if you haven’t attended the practice sessions. These dances are common ballroom dances, e.g. waltzes, which are traditionally danced at the anniversary balls of academic organizations.
Can I dance the Doctoral Polonaise even though my companion is a Master promovendus?
All the participants of the Doctoral Polonaise must be dressed in black. If your companion is dressed in white (see Dress Code) during the Conferment Ceremony, they must change into a black outfit for the Doctoral Polonaise. They must also remove their wreath during the dance.
I am a Master promovendus and my companion is dressed in the same colour for the Conferment Ceremony. Can we dance the Masters’ Contredanse Française together?
The Masters’ Contredanse Française is based on the visual interplay between black and white, which creates aesthetic patterns on the dancefloor. Thus, only a pair in which one is wearing white and the other a white tie (with a tailcoat), can participate in the dance. If you wear the same colour as your companion during the Conferment Ceremony, one of you must change the outfit for the dance (see Dress Code).
The Masters’ Contredanse Française doesn’t have to be danced with your own companion. You can also dance it with someone who is attending without a companion, or you may mix with other pairs. The pairs will be formed already during the first rehearsal session.
My companion and I are both promovendi: I am a Master promovendus and my companion is a Doctor promovendus. Which dinner do we attend on Thursday?
The wreath-weaving and sword-whetting dinners are organised separately in this Conferment Ceremony, so sadly you cannot participate in Thursday’s dinner events together. Master promovendi attend the wreath-weaving dinner and Doctor promovendi attend the sword-whetting dinner.