This year's Dies Academicus of the University of Vienna took place on Friday, 11 March 2022. As part of this central university holiday, the "Promotio sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae" took place in the morning, combined with the ceremonial awarding of the Republic's rings of honor to the doctoral graduates.
This specifically Austrian tradition of awarding outstanding academic achievements was started by Leopold I in 1661 as "Promotio sub auspiciis imperatoris" and was interrupted with the end of the monarchy in 1918. In the 1920s, plans to reintroduce it failed, so that the tradition was legally re-established with a federal law of 5 March 1952 (Bundesgesetz vom 5. März 1952 über die Verleihung des Doktorates unter den Auspizien des Bundespräsidenten) under democratic auspices of the Austrian Federal President. On 9 June 1953, the first award ceremony took place at the University of Vienna.
