Greetings from the conferment office

As January turns to February, the conferment office has opened its doors for promovendi and other people interested in the conferment ceremony. The most eager and curious have already visited the office located in Porthania second floor room 221. This delights me, chancery officer Tapani Tamminen, very much.

For a historian, especially for someone who has studied history of our university, participating in organizing the conferment ceremony is an extremely unique and rewarding opportunity. In a way one feels like re-creating history – after all, conferment ceremonies have been organized in Finland ever since 1643, when the university was located in Turku. During these days when the world seems to be under great changes and upheavals, century old traditions bring even some sense of stability and security. This is one of the reasons why I think there is a need for occasions such as the conferment ceremony.

The end of May might still feel distant in damp weather of February. Nevertheless, it is not a bad idea at all to start preparing for the conferment ceremony already. Our office is open on Mondays (1–6 pm.) and Thursdays (9-12 am. & 6-8 pm.), but we are also reachable by phone (02941 23209) during daytime. In addition we answer inquiries made by email (fil-promootio@helsinki.fi) as quickly as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding the conferment ceremony or problems with registration.

I wish you all warmly to visit our office or to contact us by other means. Aside from sitting in the office I will participate various information sessions and other events preceding the conferment ceremony. I will meet you at the latest in May!