Rector at the PhD Ceremony: You Must Never Remain Silent

By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication. Fotos: Lars Horn

- You can now add the three letters to your name: PhD. It’s a short but significant title. Your voices are now stronger. Your words carry more weight. You are ambassadors. Of science. Of knowledge. Of truth. So my plea to all of you is: You must never remain silent. You must lend us your voice – your talent – your knowledge.

These were the words of AAU's Rector, Per Michael Johansen, in his welcome address at this year's PhD ceremony on 27 January. The event brought 250 people together at AAU INNOVATE to celebrate AAU's PhD graduates of 2022. 84 of the 188 graduates participated at the event.

The ceremony opened with ''Det haver så nyligen regnet'' and “Imagine”, a musical performance by trumpeter Lars Ole Schmidt from Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and guitarist Martin Granum from the Royal Academy of Music.

The rector then addressed the PhD graduates, referring to Douglas Adams' fictional travel guide and cult classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which has the words 'Don't panic!' printed on the cover. Words that the rector imagines that most researchers have scribbled on their PhD theses during the writing process.

The rector encouraged the young researchers to let their newfound voices be heard. Because in a time of climate crises, pandemics and war, the world needs new knowledge and new insights to find the way forward.

- I believe that if we keep searching. If we keep traveling to all the farthest shores of knowledge — and gather all the new insights we find along the way. Then we will be able to cope with the hardships our world is facing. Whatever they may be. Because... I believe in science. And I believe in you. That's why I – personally – don't panic.

Society expects answers

The duty to share their knowledge was also a theme in the remarks given by this year’s guest speaker Mads Bang, Chief Technology Officer at Blue World Technologies and former PhD and MBA student at AAU.

- You are now authorities in your areas and society expects you to give back. We need a lot of new answers to old questions. What we thought was good yesterday is not necessarily the case tomorrow. Society expects you to help provide the answers, he said.

After the speeches, the graduates were presented with their diplomas by the rector along with Pro-rector Anne-Marie Kanstrup. The entire group of young researchers was then immortalized in a group photo. The ceremony was concluded with another musical performance followed by a reception.