On 27 June, IQS celebrated the graduation ceremony for master’s degree students at the Jesuïtes de Sarrià-Sant Ignasi school. In academic year 2023-2024, 163 students graduated from the IQS School of Engineering and the IQS School of Management.
The rector of Ramon Llull University, Dr Josep Antoni Rom, opened the academic ceremony by welcoming the attendees, then gave the floor to Fr. Enric Puig SJ, president of the IQS Foundation, who spoke of the Ignatian education model shared by the university institutions within the Society of Jesus: “this model is conscious that knowledge is not neutral, because it always implies values and a certain conception of the human being, life, and the world.”
The Director of IQS, Dr Salvador Borrós, presented the sponsor of the class of 2024, Dr Patricia Castejón, Global Head of Strategy & Transformation and i.Lab. Building Businesses at Henkel, covering the highlights of her experience as a student at IQS and working with the German multinational company.
The sponsor of the graduating class made a speech based on her personal and professional experience and highlighted IQS “not only as an excellent academic institution, but a special essence of people and professionals.” Her professional career as being like a long-distance race, the importance of people and intellectual curiosity, loyalty to values, and personal balance were some of the outstanding messages in Dr Patricia Castejón’s speech.
Students Lina Rodríguez and Nikita Gindea addressed the attendees on behalf of all master’s graduates with a speech thanking faculty and family members, including humour and personal experiences from their time at IQS.
Jordi Martí, representing the IQS Alumni Association, welcomed the new graduates to the IQS Alumni community, offering them lifelong support. He highlighted that the AIQS is the oldest alumni association in Spain and encouraged them to stay connected to the institution.
The rector of Ramon Llull University, Dr Rom, concluded the speeches. After a few words of congratulations on behalf of the entire university, he stated that they were celebrating the end of a stage in their academic and personal education. He explained that the word degree in Latin means step, “a step forward to advance in an academic career” and that the master’s degree is a key to opening the door to the professional world. Along these lines, he recalled the statement by the advertiser Jackson Brown: “Don’t work for recognition, but do a job worthy of recognition,” concluding that “professional happiness is found in the purpose of serving others as a measure of our success.”
More than 500 people attended the event, which ended with refreshments at IQS in which family members and graduates were able to talk with the faculty and other members of the IQS educational community. The performance throughout the event by the Ensemble Aedea choir was the highlight of the graduation ceremony’s more entertaining side.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr J. J. Molins, IQS Registrar, Dr Jordi Díaz, Dean of the IQS School of Engineering, and Dr Belén Derqui, Vice-Dean of Strategic Academic Planning at the IQS School of Management, who were seated at the presidential table.
In addition, the different master’s degree coordinators took the stage to present the students from their corresponding programmes:
- Dr Martí Lecina (Master’s Degree in Bioengineering)
- Dr Marco Antonio Pérez (Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering)
- Dr Xavier Berzosa (Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering)
- Dr Roger Estrada (Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry)
- Dr Manuel Abad (Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering)
- Dr Cristian Gómez (Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry)
- Dr Horacio Moreno (Master’s Degree in Biopharmaceutical Business)
- Dr Francesc Prior (Master’s Degree in Industrial Business Management)
- Dr Gonzalo Rodríguez (Master’s Degree in Wealth and Financial Management)
- Dr Francesc Prior (Master’s Degree in Auditing and Management Control)
- Dr Belén Derqui (Master’s Degree in International Marketing in a Digital Environment / International Marketing & Sales Management)
It is also worth mentioning that, just before the graduation ceremony, the Eucharist was celebrated in the chapel of the Jesuïtes de Sarrià-Sant Ignasi school, following a visit to the IQS campus beforehand.