IQS celebrated the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2022 on 13 July at the Auditorium of Barcelona, sending off 362 undergraduate students, 152 master’s students, and 7 doctoral students. The ceremony also welcomed the initial 75 graduates of the Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
IQS celebrated the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2022 on 13 July at the Auditorium of Barcelona, sending off 362 undergraduate students, 152 master's students, and 7 doctoral students. All of the graduates made their way to the stage to personally greet the members of the president’s table, who also welcomed the initial 75 graduates of the Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
The opening speech of the academic ceremony was presented by Dr Josep M. Garrell, Rector of Ramon Llull University. It was the last graduation ceremony he will preside over as he is ending his term in office after ten years of service to the URL university community. Dr Garrell encouraged graduates to be proactive in building a better world: “At this university we have always believed in the transformative power of education. We have never been content with educating the best professionals in the world. We have always wanted to prepare the best professionals for the world. And we have always had confidence in young people as the main guarantee that a better future is possible.”
The president of the IQS Foundation, Fr. Enric Puig SJ, congratulated all the graduates and wished that, based on the Ignatian paradigm, “the education you have received will help you to love and serve people, society, and the historical moment in which you find yourselves and are already leading actors."
Dr Salvador Borrós, Director of IQS, then presented the sponsor of the Class of 2022, Carles Navarro, an IQS Alumnus and the General Director of BASF Española, a company that forms part of the IQS Business Foundation. Navarro gave a speech in which he encouraged graduates to work towards a better world, noting that "the climate emergency is the greatest challenge humanity faces."
Recognition of excellence
Dr Jordi Díaz, Dean of the IQS School of Engineering, Dr Carlos Moslares, Dean of the IQS School of Management, and Dr Concepció Mestres, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Blanquerna, presented the Academic Excellence Awards for the undergraduate students with the best academic records:
• Undergraduate Programme in Biotechnology: Núria Casalé Cabanes
• Undergraduate Programme in Industrial Engineering: Ana García Romañach
• Undergraduate Programme in Chemical Engineering: Nil Hernández Vidal
• Undergraduate Programme in Chemistry: Francisco-Javier Sánchez Baygual
• Undergraduate Programme in Pharmacy: Claudia Casas García
• Undergraduate Programme in Business Administration and Management: Nicolás Espuny Carreño
• Undergraduate Programme in Marketing: Paula Grau Murillo
• Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management: Agustina Rocío Paradela Morgan
A new feature this year was the Honorary Distinction Awards given by Cáritas to the Final Degree Projects with the Best Social Content. The projects and students that received the award were "Fundación Migra Studium" (Raquel Oriach and Esperanza Mir), "The Good Catering Company" (Anna Guerrero and Mariona Robirosa), and "ReWaste: restaurante para luchar contra el malbaratamiento alimentario" (Núria Moretó and Núria Heras).
Dr José Javier Molins, the IQS Registrar, announced the results of the Master's Degree Scholarship Awards from, apart from IQS Tech Transfer, the companies Multivac, Werfen, Ravago, Celsa Group, Covestro, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Eurofragance, Grifols, Andbank, Naturgy, Roca Sanitario, Technip Energies, and Lluch Essence. These scholarships from member companies of the IQS Business Foundation recognize student efforts and aid them in continuing to advance their studies through IQS master's degree programmes. On 19 October, a special event will be held for the winners and the companies.
The graduation ceremony also featured a presentation and greeting from AIQS Alumni, which encouraged recent graduates to remain connected with the institution and to benefit from the support and guidance of the Alumni association as they embark upon their professional careers.
More than 1,700 people attended the event, which ended with a cocktail party in the Auditorium in which graduates and their family members were able to meet and speak with professors and other members of the IQS educational community. The photocall organized by AIQS Alumni and the performance throughout the event by the musical group Barcelona Gospel Messenger were the stars of the graduation's more entertaining side.
Finally, it should be noted that the Eucharist was celebrated in the church of Mare de Déu del Roser just before the graduation ceremony.