Nomination opens for honorary doctors

“The naming of honorary doctors focuses on those who have distinguished themselves by contributing to the areas in which the university conducts doctoral studies, or who have played an important role in the issues related to these areas to a very special extent. These are people who, regardless of whether they are academics or not, the university wishes to honour and collaborate with,” said Vice-Chancellor Mats Tinnsten.

The university’s next honorary doctors will be appointed at the Academic Ceremony on 9 May 2026. Hanna Landin, Chair of the Artistic Research and Education Board, would like to encourage all areas to contribute at least one nomination:

“There are many different types of actions that contribute to the development and impact of an area and now the environments have the chance to highlight work that is not a doctorate thesis but has still been of great importance. We hope to receive both a little more obvious and a little more surprising proposals, as long as they are all unquestionably relevant to the area and with a good basis,” said Hanna Landin.  

Here's how to submit a nomination

Only employees at the university are allowed to submit nominations and thereafter it is the Research and Education Board and the Artistic Research and Education Board that make decisions regarding appointments after proposals prepared by the review panel.

Proposals for honorary doctors should be submitted to Reception in the Balder building by 9 January, or to the secretary of the relevant committee, Petri Granroth or Anette Trennedal. Use a sealed envelope. Mark the envelope with “Nomination – Honorary Doctor”. Please note that the nominees are not to be informed of their nominations.

Using no more than 1,500 words:

• describe clearly and rigorously the nominee's significant contributions and why the person should be appointed an honorary doctor
• describe clearly and rigorously the nominee's professional background and any other awards received
• indicate the relevant field of doctoral studies

Who can be appointed an honorary doctor

In order to be awarded an honorary doctorate, the person must be assessed as having contributed significant professional achievements in any of the doctoral education areas for which the university has degree qualifications; professional accomplishments may apply to both academic work in relation to the subject and to innovative developments in relation to the professional with practical applications, and/or significant efforts linked to research, education, and other activities conducted within the university and where the person in question has or has had direct or indirect connection to the university.

It is not customary to appoint someone to be an honorary doctor at the same university where they received their degrees(s). The person should also not hold a doctorate from another Swedish university in the same area as the honorary doctorate.

* For details regarding nomination, see the guiding document "Procedure for the Appointment of Honorary Doctors at the University of Borås", Reg. no. 639-19.

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Honorary doctors at the University of Borås