Kyöstilä and Nakao became Honorary Doctors of Medicine
Image: Noora Slotte / Studio P.S.V. A top hat and a sword might sound like a thing of the past, but in Finland they are still a sign of great recognition in the academic world. The doctoral hat and sword are given to everyone getting a doctorate as prestigious symbols. In the university, the doctor's hat symbolises freedom of science. The sword is luckily not used for fighting on a battlefield, but as a spiritual symbol for the noble task of defending the truth. Conferment of an honorary doctorate is the highest honour a university can give to a person. Heikki Kyöstilä awarded an