Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, professor at the University of Szeged, was among the nine distinguished figures awarded honorary degrees by the 930-year-old University of Oxford during its Encaenia ceremony on June 24, 2026. Although a heat wave prompted changes to some of the ceremony’s centuries-old traditions, recipients still donned the university’s ceremonial robes as part of the celebrations. During her visit to England, the world-renowned mRNA researcher also traveled to the University of Cambridge, where she met with Hungarian researchers alongside her daughter and now colleague, Zsuzsanna Francia, a two-time Olympic champion rower.
The University of Oxford, founded in 1096, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and remains deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions. Central to these traditions is Encaenia, the university’s principal annual ceremony, with formalities dating back almost as far as the institution itself. Since 1478, the ceremony has included the conferral of honorary degrees on distinguished individuals, and since 1670 it has been held at the Sheldonian Theatre, where each honorary degree recipient is honored with a Latin oration. Encaenia takes place every year on the Wednesday of the ninth week of Trinity Term.
Traditionally, the Encaenia honorary degree ceremony is held at the Sheldonian Theatre. Archive photo. Source:
oc.ac.uk
Academic robes in the summer heat
On June 24, 2026, the University of Oxford’s Encaenia ceremony departed from tradition because of an exceptional heat wave, as Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, one of the honorary degree recipients, later recalled. The UK Met Office had issued a red extreme heat warning as unusually high temperatures swept across the country, affecting even Oxford, a city better known for its mild climate.
Academic dress has long been one of the defining features of Oxford ceremonies. The robes and caps worn by students and academics trace their origins to the cloaks and ecclesiastical garments of medieval Europe, when clothing also signaled the wearer’s rank and profession. Characterized by rich scarlet, blue, and purple fabrics, the ceremonial attire remains an enduring symbol of the university’s academic traditions. The University of Oxford even publishes detailed guidance on Encaenia dress requirements on its website.
This year, however, the university temporarily relaxed its usual expectations. According to guidance issued ahead of the ceremony, guests were encouraged to “dress in a way that is comfortable and appropriate for the conditions.” Jackets, gowns, and other additional layers were no longer expected, except for those taking part in formal processions, for whom wearing them remained optional. To help attendees cope with the extreme temperatures, the university also advised guests to seek shade, stay well hydrated, and avoid unnecessary physical exertion.
Orations in Latin
The Encaenia ceremony on June 24, 2026, followed a four-part program rooted in centuries of tradition.
As outlined on the University of Oxford’s website, the day begins with Lord Crewe’s Benefaction at 10:30 a.m. University dignitaries, dressed in full academic regalia, gather at one of the colleges before processing to the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street. Following the customary signing of the Honorary Degrees Book, the university’s senior academic officer formally opens the ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
Oxford’s newest honorary degree recipients (from left to right): Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.; Professor Shuji Nakamura FREng; Dame Emma Walmsley DBE; Professor Katalin Karikó; Billie Jean King; Adjoa Andoh MBE; Carlos Acosta CBE; Professor Daron Acemoglu; Dame Jacinda Ardern GNZM. Photo source: ox.ac.uk
The second part of Encaenia is the conferral of honorary degrees. The honorary degree citations are traditionally delivered in Latin. “The oration was delivered in Latin. We received the honorary degree citation in both Latin and English, but it was read aloud only in Latin,” Katalin Karikó said, describing a tradition that continues to this day. The Oxford distinction is the 23rd honorary doctorate awarded to the Nobel laureate and University of Szeged professor.
The ceremony then continues with a review of the events of the past academic year and an expression of gratitude to the university’s benefactors. For the past century, All Souls College has hosted the luncheon honoring the honorary degree recipients, including those recognized on June 24, 2026. Encaenia concludes with a garden party, which begins at 4:15 p.m.
University of Oxford leaders and the university’s new honorary degree recipients at the Encaenia garden party. Katalin Karikó (third from the right) said of the honor: “It is a deeply moving experience for me to receive an honorary degree from the University of Oxford alongside such outstanding and inspiring fellow recipients.” Photo: Zsuzsanna Francia
Stories of rowing
On the evening before the Encaenia ceremony, the University of Oxford hosted a reception in honor of its nine new honorary degree recipients. Katalin Karikó attended the event with her daughter, Zsuzsanna Francia. Born in Szeged, Francia won two Olympic gold medals in rowing while competing for the United States and also received a warm welcome from the hosts.
Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó and her daughter, Zsuzsanna Francia, a two-time Olympic champion rower, are believed to be the only mother–daughter pair in the world to have earned a Nobel Prize and Olympic gold medals, respectively. Pictured (left to right): Zsuzsanna Francia; host, physician András Lakatos; Katalin Karikó; and host, neurologist Rita Horváth. Photo: K. K.
“Nearly every one of our hosts in England had a rowing story to tell,” Karikó recalled with a laugh. That was hardly surprising in a country where rowing has long been one of the most celebrated university traditions. Since 1829, the annual University Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge has been contested on London’s River Thames, making the sport an enduring part of British academic culture.
The University of Oxford’s nine newest honorary degree recipients also had the opportunity to get to know one another over dinner on the evening before the Encaenia ceremony.
Among those honored was Jacinda Ardern, the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, who received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) degree. Honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degrees were awarded to Daron Acemoglu, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences; choreographer and former principal dancer of The Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta; British actress and director Adjoa Andoh, widely known for her role in Bridgerton; and Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and literary scholar.
Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degrees were conferred on Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, professor at the University of Szeged; tennis legend Billie Jean King; Nobel Prize-winning physicist Shuji Nakamura, a pioneer of LED lighting; and former GSK CEO Dame Emma Walmsley DBE.
A meeting of Nobel laureates: Katalin Karikó and Shuji Nakamura are pictured with Professor Nakamura’s wife and Professor Karikó’s daughter, Zsuzsanna Francia. Photo: K. K.
Both the booklet introducing this year’s honorary degree recipients and the University of Oxford’s website feature a portrait of Nobel laureate and University of Szeged professor Katalin Karikó taken in Szeged. The photograph, captured by István Sahin-Tóth of the University of Szeged’s Directorate for International and Public Relations, accompanies a brief biography describing Karikó as “a biochemist whose research focuses on RNA-mediated mechanisms and the therapeutic use of in vitro-transcribed mRNA.” It also notes that she “was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discoveries enabling nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines” and that, after serving as Senior Vice President at BioNTech SE, she now holds academic appointments at the University of Szeged and the University of Pennsylvania.
The distinguished company Karikó joined at Oxford extends well beyond this year’s recipients. Oxford’s honorary degree recipients are united by their outstanding contributions to their respective fields. Among those honored in 2025 was chemistry professor Robert S. Langer, who shared the 2021 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award with Katalin Karikó. Another recipient that year was German biophysicist Erwin Neher, who – like his Nobel Prize-winning research partner Bert Sakmann, an honorary doctor of the University of Szeged – has visited Szeged on several occasions, including in 2015, 2019, and 2022.
Research plans
The honorary degree ceremony formed just one part of Karikó’s visit to England. Having arrived on June 18, 2026, she visited several of the country’s renowned university cities, where she held discussions on the scientific research plans of the company she co-founded with her daughter, Zsuzsanna Francia.
Katalin Karikó and Zsuzsanna Francia (left) also visited several research centers in Cambridge. Photo: K. K.
The visit also provided opportunities to meet with students and researchers. At the University of Oxford, Karikó met with students studying there, including many from Hungary. “The Hungarian gathering was conducted in English because many international students attended as well,” she said. Faculty members from the University of Oxford also joined the meeting, including neuroscientist Professor Péter Somogyi, recipient of the 2011 Brain Prize, and Professor Zoltán Molnár. “Professor Molnár spoke about how proud he is of the knowledge he gained at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University in Szeged, now part of the University of Szeged, while guiding us around and showing us the old library,” Karikó recalled.
Following the Encaenia ceremony, Katalin Karikó’s itinerary continued at a busy pace. It included a formal lecture, lunch with a group of university students, and further meetings in London. From England, her European tour continued in Austria with a lecture before heading to Germany for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. There, Nobel laureates joined some 650 students, delivering presentations and inspiring the next generation of researchers.
Original Hungarian article by Ilona Újszászi
Photos: K. K., Zsuzsanna Francia
Previously on SZTE News:
Katalin Karikó to Receive Her 23rd Honorary Doctorate at Oxford, with U.S. Celebrations This Spring
