Ilisimatusarfik's annual celebration

On 29 September 2017, we marked our foundation with our traditional annual celebration.

We celebrated with speeches, singing and by awarding PhD diplomas.

Honorary Doctorate

An honorary doctorate was also appointed this year. This year, we were proud to award this honor to Jakob Janussen.

Jakob Janussen has been the director at the Home Rule Government, chairman of the Greenlandic Self-Government Commission and head of the Greenlandic Secretariat of the Greenlandic Danish Self-Government Commission.

Based on Jakob Janussen's extensive work and significant effort for the Greenlandic society - with information and education of the population, the design of the political system and the work on the daily administration of the Home Rule Government, he was awarded the Honorary Doctorate Degree at Ilisimatusarfik.

PhD dimplomas and the importance of education

This year, acting rector Suzanne Møller also awarded two PhD diplomas.

To Andreas Møller Jørgensen for his PhD: The Power Inherent in E-Democracy: Greenlandic Experiences, Practices, and Visions.

To Ann Eileen Lennert for her PhD: A Millennium of Changing Environments in the Godthåbsfjord, West Greenland - Bridging cultures of knowledge.

Research and education are the cornerstones in the work of Ilisimatusarfik, and in her speech Suzanne Møller emphasized the importance of education:

”To educate oneself is to take ownership. Nothing in a society can create such fundamental changes, as when the population educate themselves. It is important for economics, lifetime, health, development and change and much more".

In addition to Ilisimatusarfik students and employees, representatives from the Greenlandic government and Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, the business sector and other close partners participated in our annual celebration.