4 July 2024
Good afternoon,
First of all, we would like to thank everyone for being here today and joining us on such a special occasion. To our families, for their unwavering support; to our teachers and professors, for treating us as equals and generously sharing their experience and knowledge to help us grow as professionals; to the faculty’s Secretary Office and everyone at UIC Barcelona; and finally, to our fellow students, for making these past few years truly extraordinary.
This afternoon, we bring to a close a journey that has flown by at breakneck speed. On the 6th of September 2020, we walked through this very door with backpacks full of past experiences, hopes and dreams. We were complete strangers, but we shared the same objective: to finish the race, to connect with others, and to become capable individuals and skilled professionals. As it turns out, it hasn't been an easy journey. It has been a journey of meeting wonderful people, sacrificing experiences and opportunities, but also of learning things we never imagined we would. We started our bachelor's degree during the year of Covid-19, dealing with masks, constant classroom disinfection and online classes. We arrived at a time full of uncertainty, but thanks to the University's organisation and our determination, we managed to overcome it and emerge stronger.
Four years have passed since that first encounter, and today we find ourselves in a completely different situation. Those first impressions subsequently formed the foundations for our personal growth and learning. Each experience at this University has made us stronger and helped us improve little by little, allowing us to become the best version of ourselves.
When we set out on this adventure, we were inexperienced, unsure of where life would lead us. But throughout our time here, we've acquired tools, models, and strategies that will serve as valuable guides and support our future projects. We've been on trips and excursions to gain first-hand knowledge of our field of study; we’ve taken part in workshops and conferences, and completed work placements and interdisciplinary courses to equip us with the diverse skills necessary to confront real-world challenges. All these experiences have laid the groundwork for our futures.
Today, however, we are closing the final chapter. Our lives are about to turn a new page. Many of us will part ways, some acquaintances will become cherished memories, while others will remain by our side. There's something we'll always hold dear: the experiences, the human essence of UIC Barcelona, the lessons from our teachers, and the great times we shared together.
Many of you here today supporting your children were taken aback when you first heard the term “humanities”. On behalf of all my fellow students, I'd like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for supporting us on this journey, which for many may have seemed daunting. Some of you may still be unsure about what your sons and daughters are studying, perhaps thinking of it more as a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Albert Moya, Vice-Dean of our Faculty, said to us on Open Day, “Nowadays, we tend to prioritise the quantitative over the qualitative. But I assure you, what you will gain from this degree programme will be of a quality that you cannot imagine”. And how right he was. In a world where everything is accelerating at a dizzying speed, we've chosen a journey into the depths of history, art, philosophy and literature. Yet, the quality we believe in extends beyond the content of the great classics. We take with us new friends, imbued with the wisdom of Cicero, companions for life's journey, because in reality, this is just the beginning. We also depart with the wisdom of our passionate teachers, who introduced us to both classical and contemporary authors, leaving an indelible mark as part of their legacy. Our connection with all our teachers has extended beyond the classroom walls. Thank you for the coffee breaks and Coca-Colas we shared at lunch, for making time in your busy schedules to support and guide us however we needed. We can say that, without a doubt, the Faculty of Humanities stands out as the finest.
We'd like to take a moment to express our thanks to all the unsung heroes behind the scenes who help make this University feel like a second home. We're talking about Cristina, Francesc, Maite, María, and the entire cafeteria team, whose kindness while serving coffee will instantly make you smile. They sense when you might be having a tough day, and a simple word of encouragement from them puts everything into perspective. We also thank Joaquín for every “goodbye” and for his unique way of managing UIC Barcelona. We also want to thank the entire cleaning and maintenance staff for their efforts in keeping our University feeling fresh and new every day. While we could spend hours expressing our gratitude. We didn't want to overlook them today, as they've also played a huge part in making UIC Barcelona feel like home.
Finally, thank you to our classmates, ho hem aconseguit! Only we truly understand the experiences and lessons we've gained over these four years. We've laughed, we've cried, we've helped each other study, but most importantly, we've grown together. Those wary newcomers in masks from September 2020 are long gone. We came here looking for tools to construct our futures. Little did we anticipate the wealth of knowledge we'd be taking away with us today. To our parents, siblings, and teachers, both at home and at University: you've laid the groundwork and given us wings to soar, to reach great heights, and to conquer the world. It’s now time for us to go off and fulfil our dreams. And we have every confidence that we will succeed.
Having learned from the lessons of the past, it is now our responsibility to shape the future.
Thank you all so much.
Judith Urbano - Graduation speech 2023-2024
Santiago Alcolea, Director of the Ametller Foundation of Hispanic Art Christoph Pasour, director of the Master's Degree in Arts and Cultural Management, Teachers from the Faculty of Humanities of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Students, family members and friends, welcome.
First of all, of I would like to thank everyone for joining us on such a special occasion. I'll start by addressing our students of the Master's Degree in Arts and Cultural Management. Today marks the end of an important chapter in your lives, and the beginning of a new one. This next stage may seem a bit daunting as you step into the unknown, but it's also incredibly exciting. In the final few days of class, we talked a lot about this bittersweet moment – a mix of sorrow and joy. This is completely normal, and it's something we, as teachers, experience every year. Looking back at when you first arrived here four or five years ago, we've seen you put in a tremendous amount of effort. You've had both good times and tough ones, but you've always managed to overcome the obstacles.
We are thrilled that you've made it and are delighted to see how much you've grown as individuals. We're very proud of you. But there’s also a sadness in knowing that the time has come to let you spread your wings and fly.
I hope you’ve been left with the mark of the humanities that doesn't fade away in the face of the superficiality and frivolity of the society that surrounds us. Your teachers have not only shared knowledge and culture with you. They have also instilled important values. I want to publicly thank them for the incredible effort they put in every day to do their jobs so well. Now, it's your turn to give all of this back to society.
You’re leaving here with a wealth of knowledge in history, philosophy, literature, and art history. Now, take some well-deserved rest and enjoy your free time. Use it to read, visit museums, explore our heritage, and share what you've learned with your family and friends.
I would also like to dedicate a few words to the parents, to those who let their children study Humanities. This is especially commendable in today's society, where sometimes, only the things that generate immediate results, or money, are considered worthwhile. So, thank you for choosing to swim against the current and support the values we teach here at UIC Barcelona.
Thank you to our master's degree students and their families for the trust they have placed in our institution. This degree programme represents quality, a reliable and well-established curriculum thanks to our director, Christoph Pasour, and his tireless dedication. I want to thank him immensely for his time and good humour. Christoph, it’s a pleasure working with you. I also want to extend my thanks to Claudia Balboa, the master's degree coordinator, for her hard work and commitment. We are truly fortunate to have you; you make our jobs easy.
I'd also like to express gratitude to the Faculty’s secretaries, Patrícia Font and Paloma Carballal, who play such a vital role in ensuring everything runs smoothly every day for both teachers and students.
And last but not least, I would like to mention the indispensable role of the Faculty Board. Centre manager, Íngrid Soriano, and vice-dean, Dr Albert Moya. Thank you for your help and support. It's been eight years since we started this journey, and I couldn't be prouder and more grateful to my team. You know them, and you know I'm not exaggerating when I say they're honest, loyal, hardworking, good-humoured people with a positive and service-oriented mindset. Having them by my side every day is a real gift. So thank you.
My dear students, you are now UIC Barcelona alumni. You will still hear from us each year and we would love to see you again at the meetings we hold for former Humanities students. We would love to hear from you, see how you are doing and find out what you are working on.
All that remains is for me to offer my sincere congratulations, to all of you!
Christoph Pasour, Master in Cultural Management speech, july 2024
Almost exactly one year ago, we were here in this auditorium, but with another group of students. It had been my first year as a director of the master’s programme, and starting the second year I thought that working with you students would be similar to what I had experienced in my first year. Instead, I learned that each group is quite different, with its very unique dynamics, issues, challenges – and especially its own expectations.
These expectations are related to your professional lives, for example. But because almost all of you have left your cities, countries, and cultures to study in Barcelona, there are also expectations concerning your personal lives. You hope to find answers to many questions about what the next reasonable steps might be, and how to plan for them.
But we all know that the strategic planning of your life is quite complicated, if not impossible. Perhaps it is not even desirable.
And now you also understand that planning a professional life in the cultural sector is challenging. The world of culture is not only exciting, diverse, and dynamic – but also unpredictable. It requires a lot from you; flexibility, determination, commitment, tolerance for frustration, and patience. Much of culture thrives on extremes, and few aspects in culture settle into a stable centre from which you can systematically plan a career.
However, if it is true, as some say, that culture is simply another word for life, then passionate work in culture means passionately engaging with life itself and all its consequences.
You might be familiar with this situation: you tell people that you work in culture, and you are often met with great interest, sometimes even admiration. But this may starkly contrast with your own doubts, struggles and difficulties to develop your next project.
But these small moments reveal something important: they reveal how important culture is – or to use a term of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu – how important "cultural capital" is in a world where many feel uneasy about the dominance of “economic capital” and mere consumerism.
Culture promises to satisfy a longing for meaning and significance beyond consumer gratification: it promises to bring us closer to life. Perhaps this resonates with you.
Each of you has the potential to succeed in this promising world of culture. While many external factors undoubtedly have an important influence on success or failure, your success also depends on you.
If I could offer some advice, it would be this:
- Have the courage to focus primarily on the next step.
- Have the courage to take this next step with all your determination and energy, despite your doubts.
- Have the courage not to let doubts quickly overwhelm you.
- In other words, have the courage to make decisions - and be patient! Very patient!
We hope that the master's programme has equipped you with valuable tools and insights into the realities of work and life in culture. Hopefully we were able to answer at least some of your questions, and provide you with some orientation.
This would not have been possible without the team we have here.
In particular, our coordinator Claudia, with her remarkable patience, her precision, her determination and her great ideas.
And Paloma, with her organisational skills and reliability, keeping this master’s degree successfully running like clockwork each day.
None of this would have been possible without the professionalism and the expertise of our teachers – excellent professors from this university and professionals, working in culture with a passion for sharing their knowledge with you.
None of our accomplishments would have been possible without the support of the Department of Humanities.
Also the contribution of our centre manager, Ingrid Soriano, and the dedication of our dean, Dr Judith Urbano.
I express my gratitude for all of your efforts. They have allowed us to bring together culturally passionate students from all over the world right here to Barcelona.
You belong to a community that holds the future of culture in your hands.
I can honestly not think of a better job.
Thank you for everything!
And good luck to all of you!
Greetings:
Good evening, esteemed Faculty members, distinguished guests, proud families and fellow graduates. We are so proud to be standing here today on behalf of our classmates –some of the kindest people I have ever met– to celebrate our graduation. You all look incredible, even more so than in class, which is a hard standard to top!
We would like to congratulate everyone from the bottom of our hearts. Today, we mark the culmination of our journey through the University Master’s Degree in Arts and Cultural Management, one as diverse and vibrant as the art forms we admire so much.
Faculty and Professors:
We would like to extend our gratitude to the University, and to our lecturers, for offering us such a wonderful experience and sharing, not only their knowledge of cultural management, but also many valuable life lessons. You brought us together from very different backgrounds (27 different nationalities, to be precise) and helped us bond us in the best possible way.
We are a group of individuals as varied as the cultures and disciplines we represent. From musicians and artists to theatre and cinema enthusiasts, we have all brought our unique perspectives to this programme. Despite our differences in background, nationality, and career interests, you, esteemed teachers, united us and guided us with wisdom and patience.
Your teachings extended beyond the classroom walls, into the city of Barcelona. You became our friends and therapists and helped us build a life here, even if, for some of us, only for a year.
And, of course, a personal thank you for bringing Taylor Swift into our lectures. Who knew that her experience could be so relevant to cultural management?
Internships:
One of the most enriching aspects of our programme has been the chance to undertake work placements in the beautiful city of Barcelona. This experience was not just a placement, it was a journey tailored to our individual experiences and preferences. It allowed us to apply our knowledge in real-world settings, forge international connections and immerse ourselves in a vibrant cultural hub. Barcelona taught us that the arts are a universal language, one that transcends borders and connects us all. A huge thanks to Claudia for helping us with this part of the programme, and to Paloma for guiding us with daily updates.
Personal impressions:
Although this Master’s Degree was just one year –definitely not enough time for all of us to be together– I think I speak for all of us when I say that this year has been deeply valued and will remain a memorable chapter in our lives. I will miss the constant complaining, I will miss skipping the second half of our classes because we were tired (sorry!), and I will most definitely miss being here in Barcelona, with you all.
Now, I asked my classmates what they thought the highlights of the past year have been, and this is what they said:
- “Let’s hope we make it through graduation without the campus flooding again”
- “I want to be like Vlad when I grow up”
- “When 10 of you came to visit me at my halls of residence with the crazy nun, and we took selfies with Jesús after I was caught in a stampede in Plaza Catalunya”
- “I don’t know, I hate education”
Generally speaking, we all agreed that our trip to Girona, the “typical dishes” party with our beloved professor Mohammed, and our night out with the Spanish class, have been the most memorable highlights.
Our journey has not been without its challenges. We grappled with our assignments and Final Projects, whether group endeavors or individual research. The sleepless nights, the endless revision, and the occasional moments of self-doubt, were all part of the process. Yet, here we are today, not only having overcome these challenges, but having grown stronger because of them.
Conslusion:
As we move forward, let us carry with us the lessons we’ve learned and the friendships we’ve forged. Let us continue to celebrate our differences while finding unity in our shared love for arts and culture. We are now equipped, not only with the knowledge, but with the courage and creativity to make a difference in the world.
Finally, we would like to thank you all for this beautiful past year. Thank you for the experiences, and most importantly, thank you for choosing us to represent you here today, we are truly honoured. We hope you have a wonderful rest of the evening, and enjoy!
Areen Karim and Olesia Gretskaia
Dear faculty members, lecturers, cultural managers, fellow students, families and friends, welcome! Today marks an important milestone: our graduation. It is an honour and a privilege to speak to you all at this special and exciting time.
Thanks to the teaching staff,
We'd like to start by expressing our deepest thanks to all the teachers and professors who have accompanied us on our academic journey. Their dedication and passion for teaching have left a lasting impact. They have become more than just educators; they have become mentors who inspire us to think critically, question the status quo and always seek new perspectives.
How fondly we remember those first days, filled with nerves and expectations. But thanks to the enthusiasm and openness of a culturally diverse and eager-to-learn class, we quickly felt at home. We’ll never forget our teacher Isabel Villanueva, who taught us, “it's not what you say that matters, but how you say it.” Or Joaquina Bobes, who was so good at encouraging us to question everything, even our own names, in order to improve our work. Her teachings, along with those of our other teachers, challenged us to step out of our comfort zones and become better cultural managers.
Thanks to family and friends
Today is also a day to acknowledge our families and friends, without whose unconditional support we wouldn’t be here today. They stood by us during peaks of stress, celebrated our achievements, and offered comfort when times got tough. We owe much of our success to them.
Thanks to the University staff
We must also mention the coordinators and staff on the University Master's Degree in Arts and Cultural Management. Christoph, Claudia, and Paloma: you have each helped create an environment that has allowed us to grow in both an academic and personal capacity. We also want to thank Maite for her patience and cheerful spirit, for always making our coffees with a smile and offering words of encouragement. Your work often goes unnoticed, but without it, this programme wouldn’t be the same.
Reflections and experiences
Fellow students, today we close a very special chapter in our lives. It is a bittersweet moment. On one hand, we get to celebrate our academic goals, but on the other, it is sad to know our paths may soon part ways. But the bonds we have formed here are strong and everlasting.
When we started, many of us wondered if we had chosen the right master’s degree and if we could measure up to the rest of the class; everyone seemed to have such an impressive CV. But as time went on, we realised we are all here to learn and to help each other. Classroom 501 has become a second home, a place to share happy times, where everyone had their own chair. As Ángel Mestres would say, some of us have tested the rules of the game, while others have become true leaders, like Victor, whom no one would dare replace.
It has been a truly positive experience. On a personal level, we've gained a wealth of knowledge and met incredible people, both within and outside UIC Barcelona. We have learned a lot about museums in particular. I really do believe we could each write a doctoral thesis on our beloved Paco's Chocolate Museum. And let's not forget how fit we've become from all those trips up and down the stairs between the fifth and first floors every time we needed to visit the bathroom.
The importance of cultural management
So what exactly do we mean by cultural management? Some might think it's just a fancy way of explaining how we spend our days organising parties and music and art events. But it's much more than that! Cultural management is the art of blending creativity and pragmatism, of finding the balance between a passion for art and the necessity of making it work in the real world. It's like being a circus juggler, but instead of balls, you're juggling culture, budgets and public relations.
Culture is what defines us as humans, it’s what connects us to our past while guiding us into the future. Through studying cultural management, we've learned it's not only about preserving culture but also about fostering its growth and helping it flourish in a constantly evolving world. We are the custodians of cultural heritage, yes, but we are also the innovators—the cultural entrepreneurs ready to challenge norms and cultivate new and exciting ventures.
A future-thinking outlook
So, what does our future hold? Well, if there's one thing we've learned from this master's degree, it's that the future is as unpredictable as it is thrilling. With our skills in cultural management, we're ready to take on any challenge that comes our way. Whether it's working in a museum, putting together an independent film festival, or starting our own theatre company, we're confident we have the skills and the passion to succeed.
Let's face the future with curiosity, courage and enthusiasm. Passion is crucial in the field of culture. It’s both a challenging and incredibly rewarding sector. Let's keep sharing our ideas, projects, and dreams, because it's this passion that will motivate us to make the world a better place through cultural management.
Conclusion
Finally, we would like to thank once again everyone who has been part of our journey: the teachers, the administration staff, our family and friends, and, of course, our classmates. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
To wrap up, we'd like to share a quote from the Catalan actress and theatre director Margarita Xirgu i Subirà: “To not dream, not hope, not believe in anything... is to cease to exist.” So, let's believe in ourselves and in the power of culture!
Once again, thank you, and congratulations to you all. The future awaits!
I am deeply grateful and very honored that the Faculty of Humanities at the International University of Catalonia has invited me to participate in the graduation ceremony of the 2023-24 class.
It is impressive to address all of you, at the end of my professional career, as you are about to begin yours. You will start facing a challenging but also exciting landscape, immersed in the great transformations brought about by the Digital Revolution, assuming none of you have known a fully analog world.
The first computers appeared around the 1950s, which is roughly when I was born. Thirty years later, IBM introduced the concept of the PC, the personal computer, with the aim of popularizing computing. Around 1985, I got my first computer, which only worked as a word processor. The advent of two competing projects: Apple-Macintosh and Microsoft Windows, and the emergence of laptops represented the universalization of computing at all levels, both professional and domestic.
Fundamental to the implementation of all this was the opening of the World Wide Web to public access in 1993 and, two years later, the integration of Internet Explorer into the Microsoft Windows operating system. The almost simultaneous emergence of the Microsoft Office suite, incorporating Outlook as an email manager, and various office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) completed the process.
Analog sound recording and playback systems evolved from phonographs (1877) and gramophones with stone discs (ca. 1880) to vinyl record players (ca. 1950), being partially displaced by reel-to-reel tape recorders and, from the 1960s, by cassettes. Digital conversion began around 1980-82 with the advent of optical discs (CD, DVD, and BluRay), followed by the development of the MP3 digital audio format in the 1990s. Its integration into Apple’s iPod players (2001), with iTunes as a management application, marked the beginning of the separation of content from physical media, leading to music streaming services like Spotify (2008) or Apple Music (2015).
Photography and video also transitioned from analog to digital formats within three decades (1975-2005). The same happened with television and telecommunications, which shifted from channels with fixed programming (TVE broadcasts began in 1956 with a single channel and a schedule from midday to night) to the creation of multiple platforms for on-demand audiovisual products and the emergence of websites like YouTube (2006) for sharing original or third-party content.
Simultaneously, telephony transformed. Previously, if you wanted to talk to someone, you called their home phone; if they weren’t there, you tried their work phone or their parents' house. In the early 1980s, the first "mobile" phones appeared, the size of a ream of A4 paper, necessarily linked to cars. Three or four years later, Motorola introduced the first compact mobile phone, the size of a basketball player’s shoe, with one hour of talk time or eight hours on standby. Our first mobile phone, the size of a small water bottle, came into our home in 1997, shared between my wife and me. In 2000, the first versions that could be considered "smartphones" were released, a concept fully developed in 2007 with the advent of the iPhone and the following year with devices based on the Google Android operating system. In 2010, the introduction of the iPad marked the beginning of the end of the distinction between the mobile phone and the computer. The perfection of messaging services, from the SMS of the 1990s to WhatsApp in 2009, has represented a significant advancement in personal communication, competing in some cases with email. The incorporation of multiple features into mobile phones, such as cameras or audiovisual players, and countless management, identification, and entertainment applications, has eliminated the specificity of various historical devices and turned mobiles into truly multifunctional tools, absolutely indispensable for our personal, social, and professional activities.
Perhaps not as evident, but no less significant, is the digitalization of raw material extraction processes and their transformation by industry, as well as other essential fields, notably medicine, transportation, public administration, and banking. The progressive robotization and automation of these areas are increasing productivity but also making much labor redundant, with the dramatic consequence of rising unemployment... Or, viewed from another perspective, freeing up human resources.
This happened in the 19th century due to the Industrial Revolution. The emergence of steam as a driving force and the mechanization of many manufacturing processes caused significant social conflicts. Workers saw the “self-acting” machines as enemies, resulting in wild strikes, factory fires, and machinery destruction. However, the need for wealth redistribution to ensure the general population’s purchasing power generated a cascade shift from the primary (raw material extraction) and secondary (industry and construction) sectors to the tertiary (services) sector, leading to a true boom in occupations in fields such as medicine, law, teaching, hospitality, transportation, consulting, public administration, politics, banking, and also in the humanities, including art history. Thus, while the primary and secondary sectors required 90% of the population at the beginning of the 19th century, they had reduced to 30% by the end of the 20th century.
In parallel, there was a process of reducing working hours. If in the mid-19th century, it could be 10 to 14 hours a day, 6 or even 7 days a week, after World War I, the 8-hour day and 40-hour week began to be implemented in most Western countries. Currently, the Spanish government is negotiating with business representatives to implement a 37.5-hour workweek, although some countries have already reduced it to 30 or 33 hours. This means that people will increasingly have more free time and will require leisure products, which will need to be generated by new initiatives in entertainment management, tourism, and cultural dissemination.
And I must not fail to mention Artificial Intelligence, which represents an exponential acceleration, with unknown and unsettling possibilities, of the Digital Revolution, and which will inevitably free up human resources. These resources are already being diverted towards a new sector of the economy, the quaternary sector, which includes intellectually specialized services such as scientific research (including the humanities and art history), technological development, information and communication services (including journalists, social media managers, and new figures like influencers).
In summary, we must not fear the future or changes, as every technological innovation brings with it a wide range of exciting opportunities that you will have to discover and take advantage of (as long as all necessary defenses can be implemented to counter the inherent vulnerabilities of electrical and communication networks).
