As part of the Jubilee Conferment podcast, Kristina Ranki and I met many individuals willing to share their knowledge and memories. Here I will recount some additional memories that did not make it into the podcast.
Professor Ulla-Maija Forsberg and musician Ilmo Korhonen describe their memories of the 2010 ceremony when Ilmo was selected as the official wreath weaver – a historic first for a man. It took both of them by surprise, as previously only daughters of esteemed professors had been chosen for this prestigious role.
“I had an idea of what conferment ceremonies were about, as my mother had once been a master of ceremonies [in 2003], but I knew nothing of this particular tradition. It felt like a positive step to break gender boundaries this way, showing that it didn’t always have to be a woman who was selected. [...] I remember my mother coming home, sharing the news and asking me what I thought – something along those lines. And you managed to convince me to take on the role,” Korhonen says to his mother, describing their sentiments when they heard about the selection.
“The official ‘proposal’ took place at our home. The whole conferment committee arrived there early in the morning with due ceremony. [...] Later at the conferment lunch, amidst all the speeches, I too spoke as the mother of the official wreath weaver. It was incredibly touching, as the jubilee wreath weaver was Salme Kurki, daughter of Professor Paavo Ravila, one of the ‘hotshots’ in my field. Ilmo’s father [Mikko Korhonen] too was a professor of Finno-Ugrian languages. Although Ilmo and Salme had an age difference of 50 years, their fathers had worked together. It was very touching,” says Ulla-Maija Forsberg.
As had his predecessors as official wreath weavers, Ilmo Korhonen received a gift from the conferment committee: cufflinks with laurel wreath symbols, to proudly display at each future conferment ball.
“It was my first time at a conferment ceremony [in 2010], and everything was so impressive, but the cufflinks are probably what I remember best,” he notes.
Although Ulla-Maija Forsberg has held several roles at conferment ceremonies, she found it especially rewarding to experience another major role as the mother of the official wreath weaver. The only role she has not held, which she now regrets, is that of master’s graduand. This was because a ceremony had recently been arranged before her graduation, and she felt no need to attend the next ceremony being planned when she was nearing the completion of her doctoral thesis. Nevertheless, both Ulla-Maija and Ilmo have attended all conferment ceremonies since 2003 and 2010.
Professor Laura Kolbe too has many memories, including one of an excursion to Suomenlinna during the 1982 conferment festivities. The attendees began an impromptu dance on the fortress levees, clinking glasses and forging lasting memories. Such experiences deeply define us and influence our personal identities, while reinforcing our collective identity as well. Professor Kolbe, who is an expert on cultural memory and university history, says:
“Conferment ceremonies naturally celebrate not only individual but also collective memories.”
Have you completed a master’s degree but did not attend the associated conferment ceremony? It is never too late: you may attend a conferment ceremony whenever one is organised and thus experience something unique and touching. If you prefer not to attend the four-day festivities, you may opt to participate in only the pinnacle event: the conferral of degrees in the Main Building. You are warmly invited to attend.
Text: Eva Ahl-Waris, PhD
Sources:
The Swedish-language text was originally published in the official Conferment Jubilee 2023 blog, ‘Där de härliga lagrarna gro’. The blog featured short articles on the traditions, history and current state of conferment ceremonies. Its editor was Eva Ahl-Waris, PhD.