By Lone Bechmann, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

There were bright blue skies over Aalborg and wide horizons in the room when AAU's new honorary doctorate recipients took their seats at the round table at the top of AAU INNOVATE on Thursday and generously shared their perspectives. In the nearly two-hour session, the world's major, complex crises – such as the climate crisis, migration and health challenges – were discussed, as well as questions about the state of democracy and the future prospects for human empathy. The topics were many, and the atmosphere friendly and familial. As Rector Per Michael Johansen also put it in his welcome:

The round table conversation was also expertly facilitated this time by AAU's first distinguished professor, Gregory Lip, who, on the occasion of AAU's 50th anniversary this year, set the stage for reflections on what age means to a university:

“This year marks AAU's 50th anniversary. Or rather "only" its 50th anniversary. Because compared to many other universities, we are young. But what role does age play for a university? Is a 50-year-old university in midlife crisis, are we in our prime, or have we, in the grand scheme of things, just left the nest?”

Dean Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen, who was responsible for holding the event, was pleased with this year's conversation:

“It is an event that I look forward to every year and that our new honorary doctorate recipients are always delighted about having been part of. It's a good way to spend time together. The conversation went incredibly well, and there was so much enthusiasm that we could have continued the conversation even longer.”

The new honorary doctorates will be formally appointed and honored at the ceremony in Musikkens Hus later today.