New doctors: About your conferment
The Conferment of Doctoral Degrees is the University’s largest ceremonial occasion and is primarily intended for those who have recently completed their postgraduate work and successfully defended their doctoral thesis. The information below only applies to the new doctors.
Invitation and registration
The invitations to the Conferment of Doctoral Degrees 2025 will be sent out by e-mail in July 2025 to those who, during the period July 1st 2024–June 30th 2025, have got a doctoral degree at the University of Gothenburg - and have registered their exams.
Please make sure that you have registered an e-mail address where we can reach you - not an gu.se-address if you have left the University of Gothenburg. Please contact us at hogtider@gu.se
There is a web link to the registration to the ceremony in the invitation. You can choose to register in English by pressing the British flag icon at the bottom of the page.
You will need to register even if you wish your degree to be conferred in your absence. We need to have an address to send the diploma and the booklet after the conferment.
Your answers to the questions asked in the registration process will be used in the presentation of yourself in the booklet produced for the event.
You should also register your attendance at the banquet and any guests you would like to bring, using the web link. Once your registration has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail.
Please note: due to the City of Gothenburg's health and safety regulations regarding noise levels at public events, it is not permitted for children under the age of 13 to participate at the banquet, only during the ceremony.
Please register no later than August 28. Your registration is binding.
Rehearsal
The Conferment of Doctoral Degrees is the university’s most important ceremony and it requires a lot of preparation. To ensure that everything works as smoothly as possible, we would like you to attend two compulsory rehearsals before the conferment ceremony. The first rehearsal takes place on October 16 at 16.45 in the Assembly Hall in the University’s main building, Vasaparken. The rehearsal is finished around 18.00.
The second rehearsal takes place 10-11 on October 17 in the Congress Hall at the Swedish Exhibition Centre, Mässans gata 8, Gothenburg.
The ceremony
The Conferment of Doctoral Degrees takes place in the Congress Hall at the Swedish Exhibition Centre (Svenska Mässan) in Gothenburg.
For more information on the ceremony, please watch this film. For subtitles in English, klick the small button to the right, at the bottom, marked cc.
Everyone on stage will assemble at 14.15 in the foyer of the Congress Hall to prepare for the academic procession. The procession includes, apart from those who are receiving doctoral degrees, the Vice-Chancellor, the Deans, conferrers of doctoral degrees, honorary doctors, award winners, guests of honour and guests with doctorates.
The doors to the Congress hall opens at 14.30, guests are expected to be seated no later than 14.50 and the actual ceremony commences at 15.00. The ceremony is expected to last for two and a half hours.
The University of Gothenburg invite you and your guests to a reception after the ceremony, with canapés and drinks. You may bring up to five guests to the ceremony without charge, but you have to register all your guests, as every guest must have an entrance ticket to get in to the building. Children under 15 years old don't need an entrance ticket.
Banquet
The evening continues with a conferment dinner in the banquet hall at the Swedish Exhibition Centre. The banquet will begin at 19.30 and your invitation includes one free guest.
You are of course welcome to bring additional guests as well (up to four). The price for each additional guest is 1 200 SEK, and the price for accompanying children, between the age 13-17 years old is 600 SEK.
Please note: due to the City of Gothenburg's health and safety regulations regarding noise levels at public events, it is not permitted for children under the age of 13 to participate at the banquet, only during the ceremony.
Payment is by bank giro service at Danske Bank, 5199-8318 and kindly state: "DP2024 object code 9422", your name and number of guests, no later than September 20.
If you will pay from another country, please see information at the bottom of this page.
If you have registered yourself and your guest free of charge, but can't come to the banquet and haven´t given notice to the organizers, we will charge you a fee of 500 SEK per person. This also applies to GU-staff who have registered to the banquet. Last day to give notice that you can´t come to the banquet is 13 October.
You and your registered guests will be placed together at the banquet and generally with other groups from your faculty. Please make sure to include any seating requests in the field for additional information when registering, or send us an e-mail before September 20.
Your supervisor will not get an invitation from us. If you would like him or her to attend, you will have to include him or her in your guest allowance.
Dress code
Honorary doctors and promovendi, and other participants on stage, should wear formal evening dress: white tie (with a white bow tie and white waistcoat), a full-length dress such as an evening gown or trouser suit of any colour, traditional folk dress, or a formal academic gown.
The floor-length gown – this should be truly dressy. Colours and patterns are optional. Women can also wear a traditional folk costume with a jacket.
If you are taking part in the ceremony: When choosing a dress, please keep in mind that you will be in the spotlight on a stage and will also be filmed and seen on the big screen. It is important that you feel dignified and comfortable on stage in your dress.
Guests only attending the ceremony can wear dark suit. It is recommended that guests also attending the banquet wear formal evening dress as described above.
Ordering hat, laurel and ring
All conferred doctors will receive an individual diploma signed by the faculty’s conferrer of doctors' degrees. Please be aware that these insignia are specifically made for you so you should place your order well in advance. Suggestions for places of purchase can be found below.
It is up to you whether you would like to purchase a hat, a wreath and a ring, it will be at your own expense. You will not be the only doctor on stage without a hat or a wreath if you decide not to buy one.
Accommodation
At Hotel Gothia Towers, in direct vicinity to the Congress Hall, a number of rooms are available at reduced cost in the days around the Conferment in October. In the registration form you will receive as an invitee, there is a special tab at the top of the page where it says hotel. There you can take advantage of our special price and there you can find all the information regarding the hotel.
There is a limited amount of rooms offered with discounted prices, therefore, please make your reservation as early as possible. Reservations should be made before 7th October. To make a complete and valid booking you are required to submit a name, phone number and credit card number. When booking via the link, you will need to guarantee the booking against a debit card, the payment will then be made on site.
Questions?
For more information, please contact Academic Ceremonies by emailing: hogtider@gu.se
Summary of important dates
21 June 2025 – Last day to order a hat
First week of July – Invitation is sent and registration opened
28 August – Last day to register participation to the Conferment of Doctoral Degrees 2024. Guest registrations can be changed until September 20.
20 September – Final payment date for extra guests to the banquet and the ceremony
16 October – Rehearsal meeting at Vasaparken, University of Gothenburg at 16.00.
17 October – Conferment of doctoral degrees. Rehearsal at Svenska Mässan 10.00–11.00.
Order the hat, laurel wreath and ring
There are several so called insignia and objects used at this ceremony as proof or symbols certifying that a person has been awarded a doctorate. Insignia include a doctoral hat, laurel wreath, doctoral ring and diploma. At the University of Gothenburg, all doctors receive an individual diploma. The diploma is a keepsake of the ceremony. Any qualified individuals who wish to do so may acquire the other insignia themselves. Those who become a doctor of philosophy can choose a laurel wreath and/or a hat, but the most common choice is a doctoral hat.
Diploma
The diploma is no longer the official degree certificate but is still a keepsake of the ceremony. Diplomas are personal keepsakes awarded to doctoral candidates, honorary doctors and jubilee doctors; they have different designs, depending on the recipient.
Doctoral ring
The doctoral ring is made of gold. It symbolizes matrimony with science. The decoration varies among different universities and faculties, but laurel and oak are common features. Oak symbolizes strength and endurance.
The humanities faculties have three rows of laurel leaves, doctors of medicine have a snake winding around the laurel leaves, and doctors of dentistry also have white gold forceps on the ring. Lawyers have laurel leaves and oak leaves on their rings.
The ring is engraved with the name and date. Usually, the date corresponds with when the requirements for the doctoral degree have been met, but this is optional.
Hat
The hat is a symbol of freedom and power. Slaves in ancient Rome were not allowed to wear hats, only free men could. In the past hats could be in different colours, but now they are always black and pleated. The gold clasp takes the form of the symbol of the various faculties.
The doctoral hat has a hard framework, it does not conform to the head, and needs to be an exact fit. The hat consists of a shellac frame around which black cloth is pleated. The hat is then lined, and a hatband, badge, and bow are attached to it. All doctoral hats are made by hand and are a time-honoured craft.
Please be aware that the production of a doctoral hat is a time-consuming craft, and there is only one supplier. Therefore, if you are going to order a hat, you must do so promptly. No later than 21 June 2025.
Please contact the Hat Makers yourself as early as possible, email info@hattmakarna.se. For more detailed information, you can check out Hattmakarna's website (unfortunately in Swedish only)
Laurel wreath
The Romans used laurel for triumphal processions and awarded it as a sign of victory at the Olympic Games. Early universities also used it as an award.
Laurel also signifies poets, endurance and immortality. It was believed to possess medicinal powers and even to relieve mental anguish.
Around the turn of the last century, female academics had to choose between myrtle and laurel. Myrtle was used in the bridal crown, which women had to dispense with if they chose an academic career. At the doctoral degree conferment, only doctors of philosophy wear a laurel wreath, which is part of the ceremony. Afterwards, doctors of philosophy can wear either a laurel wreath or a hat on ceremonial occasions.
Embroidered coat collar
The embroided coat collar is not academic insignia, but it is part of academic dress often worn during the ceremonies.
Insignia - places of purchase
Doctoral ring
Hovjuvelerare Martin Johansson AB
Kungsportsavenyn 27
400 14 Göteborg
Telefon: 031-160050
www.avenyn27.se
Please place your order at least a month before the ceremony.
Doctoral hat
Franzéns Hattmakeri
Västra Skansgatan 1B
413 02 Göteborg
Email: info@hattmakarna.se
www.hattmakarna.se
Orders to make your doctor’s hat at Hattmakarna.se must be placed as soon as possible, to ensure delivery in time for the conferment ceremony - the last date to order is 21 June 2025.
You will find more information about the hats at this address, unfortunatly not yet in English:
www.hattmakarna.se/larosaten/goteborgs-universitet/
Wreath
BlomsterAktören
Email: viveka@blomsteraktoren.se
Phone: 0708-117964
www.blomsteraktoren.se
Please contact BlomsterAktören directly for more information about when the wreath order must be placed.
Embroided coat collar
Karp Couture
Fredsgatan 2
222 20 Lund
Telefon: 046-133537
Website: annikakarp.se
Payment from other countries
Payment from outside Sweden should be made to:
Bank account no: 1281 01 07130, Swiftcode: DABASESX
IBAN no SE89 1200 0000 0128 1010 7130
Danske Bank, Norrmalmstorg 1 Stockholm, Sweden
Cheques etc. should be made payable to University of Gothenburg in the currency stated.
Our VAT no: SE202100315301