Tuulia Tynkkynen is the gratista at the 2026 Conferment of Degrees Ceremony
Tuulia Tynkkynen, who earned her Master of Arts degree in Communication in 2024, has been selected as the gratista for the 12th Conferment of Degrees Ceremony in the history of the University of Jyväskylä. Tynkkynen began her studies in 2018 and, in addition to her major, studied also Educational Sciences. However, her studies did not end with graduation: since graduating, she has further developed her expertise by completing Pedagogical Studies in Adult Education at JYU.
The newly selected gratista hasn’t strayed far from the university; she currently works as a teacher in interaction and communication at the University of Jyväskylä’s Centre for Multilingual Academic Communication. Tynkkynen is delighted that in her work she can still connect to students and learning.
For Tuulia Tynkkynen, the University of Jyväskylä is a community that values humanity and a sense of community. She looks back on her time as a student with fondness: “During my studies, I was treated as an individual, and there was a genuine interest in me and my learning. I can be proud that the University of Jyväskylä is my alma mater.” She also expresses gratitude to the people of the Communication Studies program for their high-quality teaching and support, as well as for helping her grow into an expert.
Gratista's role is one of the original ones
Tynkkynen says that the role of gratista is a pleasure: “Being a gratista is a great honor, and it’s wonderful to be able to carry on this tradition.” The role is one of the original elements of the Conferment tradition that has survived to this day, albeit in a changed form. Historically, the gratista’s role was often to serve as the treasurer and financial administrator of the Conferment of Degrees Ceremony, which in practice meant organizing much of the entire Conferment of Degrees. In return, they were exempt from all fees, which is why the role was often given to one of the poorest students. Today, there are no such criteria for selecting the gratista, and they work as part of the ceremony arrangements together with the Coordinator of the Conferment of Degrees Ceremony, Conferment Committee and the Masters' and Doctors' Committee.
The celebrations are just around the corner, and the gratista Tuulia Tynkkynen is looking forward to them with a mix of excitement and curiosity. The opportunity to enjoy the celebratory atmosphere together with other promovendi and to see the event she has helped organize inspires her. Her own preparations for the ceremony are also nearly complete. “We’ve been practicing old dances with the Ceremonial Garland Weaver, so hopefully the steps will be spot-on on the actual day of the ceremony too!” Tynkkynen hopes.
The largest academic celebration of our university will be held May 22–24. This year, nearly four hundred promovendi will be conferred at the Conferment of Degrees, some in absentia. The Saturday Act of Conferment culminates in the Conferment Procession from the Main Building to Kirkkopuisto.
