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Dies Natalis a.k.a birthday
I love traditions. The older or more ceremonious they are, the better! Traditions are a sort of time-machine, you feel connected with history through all the years these traditions have been performed in the same way.
Last week was the 376th Dies Natalis (meaning birthday) of the university I work at. One of the nice things of working as a PhD is being part of a centuries old scientific tradition, so I like to visit the Dies-celebrations. Below the cut are some pictures and explanations of some of the traditions involved in this yearly ceremony. (The pictures are actually not from this year, as I didn't have a very good seat from which to take pictures. These pictures are from a few years back, but the nice thing with traditions is, nothing changes!)
The Dies ceremony starts when the cortège (parade) of professors in their ceremonial robes and distinguished guests walks from the Academy building and enters the church where the ceremony takes place. You can't really see it in the picture, but the robes of my university have a band with all the seven colours (standing for the seven faculties) of the university on one arm and a band with just the colour of the faculty they belong to on the other arm.
They enter the church lead by the beadel (master of ceremonies, the lady at the right of the picture). Also in the front of the parade are the rector magnificus, the rest of the Board of Directors and the professor who has the honour to pronounce the Dies lecture.
The ceremony starts with a welcome by the rector magnificus, followed by the Dies lecture on a topic related to a research focus of the university. Usually after that there will be a musical intermezzo by a student choir or orchestra.
Then the honorary doctorates will be awarded. Professors of our university suggest eminent (usually foreign) scientists from their field and two are chosen to receive a honorary doctorate. From that day one they may place the title Doctor Honoris Causa behind their name (though I wonder if anyone ever actually does that!). The proposing professor pronounces a laudatory speech about the work of the honorary doctor and he or she is then given a red cap and a certificate.
In the third and last part of the ceremony, the junior and senior teacher-of-the-year prices are handed out and the ceremony ends with the singing of the Io Vivat (an international student 'anthem')
Do those of you who work or study at universities have similar or very different traditions surrounding the yearly Dies?
Last week was the 376th Dies Natalis (meaning birthday) of the university I work at. One of the nice things of working as a PhD is being part of a centuries old scientific tradition, so I like to visit the Dies-celebrations. Below the cut are some pictures and explanations of some of the traditions involved in this yearly ceremony. (The pictures are actually not from this year, as I didn't have a very good seat from which to take pictures. These pictures are from a few years back, but the nice thing with traditions is, nothing changes!)
The Dies ceremony starts when the cortège (parade) of professors in their ceremonial robes and distinguished guests walks from the Academy building and enters the church where the ceremony takes place. You can't really see it in the picture, but the robes of my university have a band with all the seven colours (standing for the seven faculties) of the university on one arm and a band with just the colour of the faculty they belong to on the other arm.
They enter the church lead by the beadel (master of ceremonies, the lady at the right of the picture). Also in the front of the parade are the rector magnificus, the rest of the Board of Directors and the professor who has the honour to pronounce the Dies lecture.
The ceremony starts with a welcome by the rector magnificus, followed by the Dies lecture on a topic related to a research focus of the university. Usually after that there will be a musical intermezzo by a student choir or orchestra.
Then the honorary doctorates will be awarded. Professors of our university suggest eminent (usually foreign) scientists from their field and two are chosen to receive a honorary doctorate. From that day one they may place the title Doctor Honoris Causa behind their name (though I wonder if anyone ever actually does that!). The proposing professor pronounces a laudatory speech about the work of the honorary doctor and he or she is then given a red cap and a certificate.
In the third and last part of the ceremony, the junior and senior teacher-of-the-year prices are handed out and the ceremony ends with the singing of the Io Vivat (an international student 'anthem')
Do those of you who work or study at universities have similar or very different traditions surrounding the yearly Dies?