3,000 students celebrate at the summer 2023 graduation ceremonies in the Barbican Centre

“We thought that a worldwide pandemic was going to stop us, yet here we are today celebrating our achievements!” beamed student speaker Elena de Ficchy at her graduation ceremony.

Between Friday 14 July and Wednesday 19 July, nearly 3,000 students from across each the six schools at City, University of London donned their mortarboards at the Barbican Centre and began their new journeys as alumni.

On Friday, addressing fellow graduates from the City Law School, student speaker Liam Schaechter, who received a bachelor’s in law, said:

Whatever you do decide to do in your professional lives, it is important to never forget one of the first principles we were taught: Pacta sunt servanda - "agreements must be kept".

But the principle is also crucial in leading a moral life. Humanity was placed on this earth to work but also to protect the planet we inherited.

We must look to our existence as an implied contract, whether that contract is enforceable in some supernatural, post-mortem court, or not.

We must never forget that our existential agreement includes making this world a better place for generations to come, and agreements must be kept.

Also on Friday was student speaker, Victoria Alexandria Costa Duarte, graduating with a master's in law. She addressed her fellow graduates:

The leap of faith is an intuitive, child-like practice that strikingly resembles risk in adult life.

All of us in this room have taken a leap. We have leapt from grade to grade, from a place we once called home to the unfamiliar.

Graduates, today marks a culmination of leaps we have taken toward our various degrees. We are not only celebrating the leaps which have led us to these very velvet seats, but we look ahead to the leaps that are to come.

Inevitably, when you find yourself at a precipice, staring uncertainty in the eyes, I dare you to leap. Take that job, tell that person you love them, cross your oceans and climb your mountains.

On Monday, student speaker Anjali Patel, who received a BSc Mathematics with Finance and Economics, addressed the congregation:

Within this auditorium sit a unique group of individuals. I say unique, because we have had to tackle an unusual university experience, from Covid-19 to online learning and the cost-of-living crisis.

Challenges are what make life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

I'm sure you would all agree that our university experience not only helps prepare us for our professional journey in the workplace, but it also develops us from a personal perspective.

I'd like to believe that our experiences over the past few years have granted us the ability to be resilient, adaptable, mindful and above all appreciative of the world we live in.

Whatever you go on to do, just remember there is no ceiling to what you can achieve.

Also on Monday, student speaker Bianka Baranova graduated with a BSc in Music, Sound and Technology. Originally Slovakian, she wore her country's traditional clothing to address her fellow graduates:

From having Zoom parties to writing exams in our rooms and even seeing Britain host Eurovision, we celebrate the completion of what at times seemed like a long fever dream.

I would like to remind us, graduates, of Snoop Dogg’s wise words: “I wanna thank me”. We should be proud and reminisce on all the things we have done to get here.

I have a few wishes for us. I hope that we are able to speak up and shape our future on our own. I wish that we remember and learn from the past mistakes and know we can start again.

I hope that through our art, we can influence even the smallest group of people who can make a difference.

On Tuesday, student speaker Elena de Ficchy, who graduated with a BSc in Economics, said:

Class of 2023, I want you to believe in that grit that you demonstrated during these three uncertain years, because this strength of character is your distinguishing asset.

As economics students, we were taught from the beginning how to forecast and manage risk.

While we cannot forecast exactly what tomorrow is reserving us, our adaptability and determination means we will be able to best allocate the rare resources that we are given.

Ukrainian mother-of-two Tetyana Chetin was awarded a BSc in Psychology with Criminology. Speaking to her fellow graduates, she said:

Our university journey began in 2020, during the worldwide Covid-19 crisis. Amid all the hurdles and hardships, we adjusted, learned, and became stronger.

I juggled my responsibilities as a mother, an employee, and a student. It was certainly not easy. However, standing before you today, I prove that it's never too late to dream, follow your dreams and achieve them.

Continue dreaming and persevering, and you will see your dreams become reality.

On Wednesday, student speaker Kush Patel,  BSc International Business, addressed the audience:

I went from being a U-grade student to the top of the class at business school because I found a passion for the hustle.

After every one of my falls my loving family picked me back up, dusted me off, and gifted me with a second chance to go back out there and try again.

In the end, it taught me my most valuable lesson – to take responsibility for your own life.

I vow to continue on this journey and extend my hand to those in the graduating class who wish to collaborate with me on this path, and I hope that you all would do the same for each other.

The new Student Union President Akanksha Kumar, who has been in post since the beginning of July, also graduated on Wednesday with a BSc in Business Management with Marketing. In her term, she hopes to work on the cost-of-living crisis and the student experience. She took the opportunity to address her fellow graduates:

Countless cups of coffees and 197 cans of RedBull later, we are all here, one short walk away from the rest of our lives.

If there's something that I have learned, it's to grab every opportunity life throws at you.

I learned to be bold, to be brave, to be curious, to laugh, and to keep my calendar up-to-date!

Closing the round of ceremonies, student speaker Sabrina Fuchs, who graduated with a BSc  in Banking and International Finance, addressed the crowd:

The class of 2023 was the class that beat the odds; we started university during a time of lockdowns. As the world reopened, we came together again, to learn, to laugh, and to prepare for our future.

This pandemic didn't only teach us that we can deal with so much more than we could have ever imagined but also it reminded us how important personal connections are – never forget that.

I hope everyone takes this confidence with them when leaving this room, because with the world constantly being challenged, we will be the ones to beat the odds again.

I would like to conclude with one of my favourite quotes from the German poet Goethe: “The night created a thousand monsters, but my courage was a thousand times as big."

Three exceptional people were conferred honorary degrees.

Honorable Dame Bobbie Cheema-Grubb, who is a City alumna, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her service to the field of law. In 2015, she was appointed High Court judge and became the first woman to take on that role in the UK.

Vice-Admiral Duncan Potts awarded an honorary doctorate in science for his outstanding military service. He has served as the Director General of the Defence Academy in the UK and as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff.

Data journalist John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter at the Financial Times and City alumnus, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree for his significant contribution to data-informed argument in the public realm.