Students of the Faculty of Humanities graduated on 6 July in the Aula Magna lecture theatre on the Barcelona Campus, in a ceremony with the director of Teatre Lliure, Juan Carlos Martel, as patron. The ceremony was led by Alfonso Méndiz, rector of UIC Barcelona, accompanied by Judith Urbano, dean of the Faculty of Humanities, and Christoph Pasour, director of the Master’s and Postgraduate Degrees in Cultural Management.

Judith Urbano opened the ceremony and welcomed the attendees and then introduced Christoph Pasour, who congratulated the graduates for their achievement and attitude during the course. Pasour highlighted, “culture and art can only flourish under the right conditions. You now have the tools to help, guide and give you assurance in this unpredictable sector.”

Juan Carlos Martel, patron of the graduation and director of the Teatre Lliure Foundation, spoke next. Martel stressed the importance of choosing a university and a job with which they share values. “Nothing you have learned is going to serve you more than knowing what your values as people are.” Lastly, he encouraged the new graduates to continue defending their values and foundation wherever they go.

After diplomas were awarded to the graduates, the students spoke. Elena Español and Raúl Vara, as representatives of the Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Cultural Studies; María Rodríguez and Juan Abella, as representatives of the Master’s Degree in Cultural Management (Spanish Programme), and Lulwah Alsheddi and Valentin Oprisor (English Programme), addressed the attendees, teachers and classmates.

Rector Alfonso Méndiz closed the ceremony and emphasised the importance of the meaning of work when facing bad situations and valuing good times, “someone said the humanities make us smarter and more empathetic. Therefore, we must recover the value of dialogue, empathy and solidarity.”

The ceremony ended with the singing of the University’s traditional song “Gaudeamus Igitur.”