Today, the European University Institute (EUI) honoured 153 graduates from its academic programmes with the awarding of doctoral and master’s degrees.
The day opened with a ceremony dedicated to the 53 graduates of the Master in Transnational Governance, a two-year programme that equips students with the skills needed to address complex global challenges, from the energy transition and digital governance to economic development.
“You chose to join the Florence School of Transnational Governance at a time when trust in public institutions is fragile, when democracy is being questioned, and when even the idea of a shared European project can seem contested,” said Johanna Mair, Director of the School. “Some might say this is an unusual moment to invest in the public good and in public governance. I would argue that it is precisely the right moment – and that you are exactly the right people,” she added.
In her acceptance speech upon receiving the Honorary Master’s Degree, former President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová said: “Some of the most significant moments of my life took place in silence, alone, when I had to understand my emotions and the motivations behind decisions that would affect millions of people. Empathy is one of the highest expressions of strength.”
In the afternoon, the Institute celebrated the graduation of 100 researchers from its PhD, LLM, and Master of Research in Economics programmes. On this occasion, two Honorary Doctorates were awarded to Antony T. Anghie, one of the world’s leading scholars of international law, and Guido W. Imbens, recipient of the 2021 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
The ceremony included the conferral of doctoral degrees to graduates from the EUI’s four departments - History, Economics, Law, and Political and Social Sciences - the presentation of awards for the Institute’s best dissertations, speeches by graduates, and a commemorative moment dedicated to the academic community.
The Institute’s President, Patrizia Nanz, delivered a message of encouragement and inspiration, quoting the words of the renowned Czech statesman Václav Havel: “Hope is above all a state of mind, not a state of the world. It is not optimism. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart.” She concluded by wishing graduates a form of hope that is “a form of human solidity for everything you undertake in the future and the wisdom to nurture it throughout your lives.”
For the first time in the Institute’s history, this day, traditionally reserved for its own community, was opened to the public through a live online broadcast, sharing a significant moment in the Institute’s academic calendar and reaffirming its commitment to making the outcomes of its educational mission accessible to a wider audience.