Head of Department Letter February 2026

About traditions

Most academic institutions have traditions intended to foster a sense of belonging and to promote community, identity and shared values within educational environments. At older universities, this is also about continuity: connecting past, present and future generations through more or less formalised, recurring rituals. Rituals evidently give us a sense of control in a chaotic world, and for our well-being it does not really matter whether this sense of control is illusory – the ritual works nonetheless.

Some universities are more pompous than others when it comes to traditions. Compared with my alma mater, Lund University offers many opportunities to observe the predictable rituals that make up academic traditions. This may be because the entire city of Lund is shaped by its many university employees and students. The only formal ritual I recall from my own student days was the Vice-Chancellor standing in the main university building and shaking hands with all new students (fortunately for the Vice-Chancellor, not everyone turned up). Lund University, by contrast, has a rich tradition of ceremonial events, including doctoral degree conferment ceremonies, the Lund Carnival, student revues and professorial installations. Traditions change over time, but the underlying idea remains the same: those of us working at Lund University today should feel a connection to former students and staff stretching back more than 350 years. One of these traditions is the Annual Celebration, which this year took place on 23 January:

News article: "Annual Academic Ceremony royally celebrated" on the LU Staff Pages.

I also attended to celebrate Lund University’s awarding of prizes to Cecilia Jarlskog and Hannah Herde. Congratulations! At least I believe they received awards — due to the royal presence, I did not actually see very much of the ceremony itself.

For those of you who are (relatively) new to Lund, I recommend trying to take part in some of the university’s traditions. They are not always comfortable — sitting behind enthusiastic photographers for an hour, or on a chair in the cathedral for several hours, for example — but they offer something extra: shared experiences that you can remember together with others who were there.

There are traditions aimed at students and others intended for those of us who are a little older, so choose something that sparks your curiosity. Taking part is one way of helping you feel at home in Lund and, hopefully, to see Lund University as part of your future identity.

And if you were born and raised at LU, please share these traditions with those who come from elsewhere, so that everyone has the opportunity to experience the wonderful blend of old and new that characterises the university.

Else Lytken

Head of Department