Vicar Kathrine Lilleør gave the address at the University of Southern Denmark’s annual PhD graduation ceremony. She encouraged the brand-new research fellows to break free of their notes to help them to pass on their knowledge
153 brand-new research fellows received some surprising advice yesterday to help them on their way as the University of Southern Denmark celebrated the completion of their studies.
In her address, Kathrine Lilleør advised the PhDs to immediately put plenty of distance between themselves and the notes they had painstakingly written during their three-year study programme.
“You mustn’t be glued to the footnotes now that it’s time to go out and disseminate your new knowledge. Instead, you need to be brave enough to turn to your own resources and experience. Knowledge only becomes truly relevant and applicable when it is communicated by a real person who dares to own up and put himself or herself on the line,” Katrine Lilleør advised in a speech lasting more than half an hour in which she did not once refer to any notes.
More than a scientist
As well as being a vicar, Kathrine Lilleør is also a writer, lecturer, active debater – and a PhD. She has written a thesis on Hans Christian Andersen and, as an example of daring to own up and put oneself on the line, she related Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Shadow.
The Shadow is about a learned man who is writing his thesis in Italy. As time goes by, he becomes increasingly clever, but at the same time he withers away as a person because he does not dare to explore life, poetry, art and love. The fairy tale ends unhappily: the man’s shadow escapes, steals his identity and captures the heart of the king’s daughter, while the learned man gets his clever head chopped off.
“Don’t settle for being just a scientist – be a complete person, for better or worse. It will make you more adept at communicating.” There endeth the lesson!
More and more new research fellows
Rector Jens Oddershede reported that the number of PhD graduates from the University of Southern Denmark has grown steadily in recent years. In 2007, only about half as many – 80 – had a PhD conferred by the University of Southern Denmark.
This is due in no small part to the Danish government’s target for the universities to double the number of newly trained researchers in the period 2007–13 – and SDU has achieved that target.
“However, PhD programmes are still an elite study programme for the few. Last year, the University of Southern Denmark had approximately 1,500 Master’s graduates, and only a handful of those can expect to go on to complete a PhD programme,” the Rector explained.
The 153 who did pass through the eye of the needle were treated to applause, handshakes and a little memento: a bookmark bearing the university logo.
25.06.2013
Back to the news list