On 22 May, the day before the university's annual doctoral ceremony, around 70 people gathered at IKDC for a joint honorary doctorate seminar organised by the Faculty of Science and LTH. Despite the downpour outside, the hall was filled with curious participants who were offered reflections, new perspectives and unexpected knowledge from this year's honorary doctorates. The day's topics ranged from the bottom of the ocean to generative AI, entrepreneurship and academic choices.
— Awarding honorary doctorates is the highest honour a university can bestow. The title is a way for us to say thank you for the inspiration and impact you honorary doctorates have made - and for making us better,’ said Per Persson, Dean of the Faculty of Science, in his welcome speech.
Margaret McNamee, Deputy Dean at LTH with responsibility for research and infrastructure, opened the seminar together with Per Persson, sharing his joy at being able to recognise this year's honorary doctorates. She emphasised that their efforts have added valuable knowledge and new perspectives to the faculties and the academic community.
Read more about the honorary doctorate seminar here. (lu.se/calendar)
Four honorary doctorates take the stage
Professor Caroline Slomp, this year's Honorary Doctor of the Faculty of Science, took the audience on a journey of discovery through the life of a marine scientist - a career choice inspired by a book by Robert A. Berner called Early Diagenesis, a work that explains the chemical processes in ocean sediments - and thus provides important insights into the geochemical basis of life. In particular, she highlighted the global challenges of eutrophication and oxygen depletion in coastal areas, and how her research team is working to understand the biogeochemical feedbacks in these systems.
— We know what is needed to reduce eutrophication and mitigate climate change, but policy action is lagging behind, said Ms Slomp. She concluded by emphasising that her team's greatest achievement may not be the results themselves, but the training of a new generation of marine scientists.
Professor Sabeth Verpoorte, honorary doctor of LTH 2024 who now had the opportunity to participate, talked about her journey as a researcher in lab-on-a-chip technology. She shared her fascination with science as a process - investigating, interpreting and understanding the world:
— Science is not just about results - it's about the journey. The questions, the curiosity, the process. That's what makes being a researcher so much fun,’ she said.
LTH's honorary doctor for this year Professor Margaret-Anne Storey spoke about generative AI and how the technology is changing software development. She presented McLuhan's tetrad as a way to understand change. McLuhan's tetrad is a tool that analyses the impact of a new technology or medium on society. It consists of four questions - four ‘laws’ - that help understand how a medium affects us culturally, socially and cognitively.
Margaret-Anne Storey emphasised the importance of shaping AI tools - before they shape us:
— As we develop new tools, we develop people too. We need to reflect not only on what AI can do, but also on how it changes us - and our understanding of what knowledge is.
The seminar concluded with LTH's second honorary doctorate, entrepreneur Semmy Rülf, who shared insights from a long professional life in the technology and life science sector. In his talk on leadership in growing technology companies, he described what characterises a high-tech startup: fast pace, technological innovation, uncertainty and business models that often lack clear markets in the beginning.
He stressed that leadership in such environments has special requirements - not least in terms of managing change, building the right culture and navigating conflicts that can arise in fast-growing organisations. Often, leadership needs to adapt and change as the company evolves.
Semmy Rülf also shared his key lessons learnt:
— To focus on the people around the company. It is the team, not the technology, that determines the success of an idea: ‘innovation is not enough. It is the people who realise ideas - and bring them to market, he said.
This year's honorary doctorate seminar also included Q&A sessions, coffee breaks and networking. Thank you to everyone who came and participated in the seminar!
Text and image by Cecilia Schubert, Communications Officer, Faculty of Science.