community

BSE Graduation Ceremony 2010

June 2010

On Wednesday the BSE community celebrated the graduation of its third cohort of master students. Friends and family, together with professors, alumni, and staff filled the UPF Auditorium at the GSE's Ciutadella campus on a sunny afternoon to honor the accomplishments of the Class of 2010.

Six programs comprise the class, including: Competition and Market Regulation; Economics of Science and Innovation; International Trade, Finance, and Development; Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets; Economics; and Finance.

Graduation keynote: Dr. Josep Oliu, president of Banc Sabadell

Opening remarks were made by dean of the BSE Prof. Massimo Motta (ICREA-UPF and BSE). Prof. Motta encouraged the graduates to keep in contact with their classmates and the GSE by joining the recently launched BSE Alumni & Friends Network (more details below).

Prof. Motta then presented this year's keynote speaker, Dr. Josep Oliu, president of Banc Sabadell, who spoke to students about the challenges of trust between society, private companies, and public institutions. The topic will surely resonate with this year's graduates, many of whom will begin new jobs in those companies and institutions on Monday morning.

In particular, Dr. Oliu offered his observations of the complex economic landscape in Europe, where trust in institutions has been tested in countries such as Spain and across the European Union. Nevertheless, he believes that, just as in personal relationships, trust in institutions will be restored with time and decisive actions. Dr. Oliu contrasted the loss of trust in Europe with the boom of Latin America. In that region of the world, he said, growing trust in the financial sector has enabled these countries to consolidate their economies and weather the storm of the recent economic crisis.

Following the keynote, students received congratulations from authorities of the two universities that promote the BSE: Dr. Montse Farell, vice-rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB); and Dr. Josep Joan Moreso, rector of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF).

Student speaker: Fredy Girón '10 (Economics)

The chosen student speaker, Fredy Girón '10 (Economics), closed the ceremony with reflections on the academic year, from the many hours of demanding problem sets and study sessions, to the winter ski trip in Andorra, to this month's World Cup triumphs (and frustrations) shared by a class from 43 different countries, even amidst the intense final weeks of working together to prepare exams and presentations.

Despite the demands of their studies, Mr. Girón remembered that "there was always time for sharing our points of view of many different topics, of our backgrounds, of politics in our countries, of our ideas for the future...of the delicious restaurant you founded in a hidden street in the Gothic Quarter.

"In some days we will be physically separated by thousands of kilometers," Mr. Girón went on, "but I will take you in my heart and in my mind back to Mexico, with the firm confidence that we will be in many different places, with our own philosophy, with our own ideas and projects, but united by a common goal, and smiling because we are on the right path." Download student speaker remarks [pdf]

After a rousing ovation for Mr. Girón, the festivities adjourned to the garden, where students and their guests enjoyed refreshments and celebrated their first moments as BSE alumni.

View more graduation photos and share your own!

Watch video (09:59) Graduation speaker Dr. Josep Oliu, president of Banc Sabadell, during the certificate presentations.

Watch video (08:25) Student speaker Fredy Giron '10 during his remarks.

Connect with GSE alumni

This spring the BSE debuted a new section of its website that gathers networking tools and exclusive resources for alumni and friends of the School. All new graduates are also invited to stay in touch with classmates by joining the BSE Alumni Directory. Many social media options will also help graduates from different parts of the globe to maintain connections with fellow alumni and the BSE community.