Seven new honorary doctors appointed by SLU in 2025

The 2025 honorary doctors will receive their degrees during the doctoral award ceremony in Uppsala on 4 October 2025. On 3 October, they will give their public lectures in Uppsala which will also be livestreamed on the SLU website.

About this year’s honorary doctors:

Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Sciences

Erik O R Bengtsson is an economist and agriculture entrepreneur who runs the Karlsfälts gård farm in Österlen, Skåne. The farm's motto is “animals, nature and humans in symbiosis”. For over 15 years, he has contributed to economics courses included in the SLU Agricultural and Rural Management programme. He has been a mainstay when it comes to offering students practical case studies for course modules involving the creation of a business plan for groundbreaking ideas. In these projects, Erik O R Bengtsson has kindly responded to questions, welcomed study visits and participated in both Q&A sessions and final presentations in Alnarp. In addition to this, he is a member of SLU Partnership Alnarp – an organisation for cooperation between SLU Alnarp, industry, public authorities and corporations in southern Sweden. He often participates in their events, taking on the role as representative for farmers.

Erik O R Bengtsson. Photo: Marit Lasson

Agronomist Per Modig is a crop production strategist  with NGO Ekologiska lantbrukarna and with substantial experience in organic farming. He is also an agriculturalist who grows over 25 crops, including vegetables, various cereals, beans, lentils, quinoa, peas and crops for animal feed. He is a pioneer and truly inspirational, his contributions including the production of varieties that would otherwise not be available on the market. Per Modig's solid knowledge and interest in sustainability issues in crop production and food production make him a sought-after partner in research, development, training and counselling. He has collaborated with SLU, including in projects on weed control in organic crop production, intercropping of legumes and cereals, and obstacles and opportunities for increased Swedish legume cultivation. Per Modig's broad practical experience and in-depth factual knowledge and curiosity make him a unique and positive force in the development of more sustainable farming and food systems.

Per Modig.  Photo: Maja Lindström

Maggie Roe is a professor at the School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape at Newcastle University. She is also director of the Newcastle University Centre for Landscape, an interdisciplinary research centre exploring the interaction between people and landscape. Her own research today focuses on coastal landscapes, foodscapes and landscape policy development. Maggie Roe is an advisor to various UK authorities on landscape issues, but also has a strong international commitment. She collaborates extensively with SLU Landscape, an interdepartmental platform for collaboration and joint profiling of the landscape subject within SLU. She participates as an inspiring and knowledgeable lecturer at the SLU Landskapsdagar event, contributes to teaching on the Food and Landscape Master's programme, invites colleagues to apply for grants and join field trips, and is consulted as an expert by the faculty.

Maggie Roe. Photo: Private

Faculty of Forest Sciences

Joseph Nygren is a pioneer, innovator and role model in Swedish aquaculture. For over 30 years, with unwavering commitment and leadership, he has shown that it is possible to farm high-quality food fish in ice-covered hydropower reservoirs. Today, his company Umlax is a world leader in Arctic char farming, and Sweden's largest producer. One of his main driving forces that aquaculture creates value in Lapland's sparsely populated rural areas. With his interest in development and technology, he has participated in an exemplary way in SLU's project for breeding Arctic char and in the development of systems where partially closed cages are used to capture excess nutrients. Josef Nygren's long-standing commitment, hands-on work and collaborative efforts have made an exceptional contribution to and supported the development SLU's research, education and collaboration in the field of fish and aquaculture.

Josef Nygren. Photo: Rakel Sikström

Michael J Wingfield is a professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and has built a successful biotechnology research institute, FABI, which utilises innovative molecular and genomic approaches to support the forestry and agricultural sectors. Under his leadership, FABI has developed into a leading research environment for forest health, with extensive collaboration with mycologists, forest pathologists and forest entomologists worldwide. The long-standing collaboration between SLU, Mike Wingfield and FABI has led to a number of research exchanges and joint publications. Mike Wingfield is one of the most prolific researchers in the field of forest health, and for several consecutive years he has been among the most highly cited scientists in the world in his field. In addition to being an excellent researcher and past president of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), he is a role model as a leader and mentor for many researchers at the Faculty of Forest Sciences.

Michael J Wingfield. Photo: Hans Merensky Foundation

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science

Torbjörn Lundström is a licensed dentist and has the Swedish Board of Agriculture's approval to also work with animal health care. During his long career, he has made pioneering contributions to Swedish animal welfare, particularly in the field of oral health in horses and zoo animals. Since the 1980s, he has helped countless animals in Kolmården Wildlife Park in particular, but also in other zoos, with dental problems. He has also shared his knowledge with zoo veterinarians and others. For more than 25 years, Torbjörn Lundström has participated in courses at SLU, initially focusing on basic dentistry and oral health training for veterinary students, and later on SLU's continuing education course in equine dentistry for licensed vets.

Torbjörn Lundström. Photo: Private

Veterinary surgeon Olli Peltoniemi is a professor and dean at the University of Helsinki where he conducts world-leading research on the reproduction of food-producing animals and the health of pigs, and he is a European Veterinary Specialist in these fields. He is also committed to animal welfare issues and the strong link between animal and human health (One Health). Olli Peltoniemi has a long history of collaboration with researchers and teachers at SLU, and has, in addition to his research, facilitated networking and collaboration for Nordic and international colleagues in an exemplary and altruistic way. He has held senior positions in several important European organisations, and with his low-key, humble and friendly attitude and his broad knowledge, he has steered those organisations in a direction characterised by a strong sense of responsibility for health and welfare in animal husbandry.

Olli Peltoniemi. Photo: University of Helsinki

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