HSE University-St Petersburg’s Big Graduation Returns

© HSE University-St Petersburg

On July 1, more than 1,500 newly qualified bachelor’s and master’s graduates of HSE University-St Petersburg celebrated with their mentors at the campus’s traditional joint graduation ceremony. The event was an especially major personal event for one graduate, who received a marriage proposal during the ceremony.

The ceremony at the Sibur Arena was attended by 1,589 bachelor’s and master’s graduates and their families. Congratulatory speeches were given by Anna Tyshetskaya, Director of the St Petersburg campus, the heads of faculties, and representatives of Rostelecom, the general partner of HSE University-St Petersburg.

The ceremony began with the awarding of honours degrees to 181 bachelor’s and 138 master’s students. Next, degrees were awarded by programme—this year, there were graduates of 14 bachelor’s and 23 master’s programmes. This year, a number of programmes were represented for the first time: the Bachelor’s in Design and the master’s programmes in Media Production and Media Analysis, Russian Literature in Cross-cultural and Intermedial Perspective, International Business, Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Age, and Physics.

During the concert—which was a surprise musical gift from the university administration—Daniil, a guest of the event, took to the stage and invited his girlfriend Alina to join him. Alina is a graduate of the Master’s in Applied Economics and Mathematical Methods at the HSE University St Petersburg School of Economics and Management. Daniil said that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, got down on one knee, and presented a box with a ring. She said ‘yes’.

‘I knew that my heart belonged to her, and I decided to propose in the unusual setting of this big event. The memories will last a lifetime!’ he said.

The joint graduation ceremony is a HSE University-St Petersburg tradition in which students and teachers feel like one big family united by common values, aspirations, and dreams. The atmosphere of unity is heightened by the ceremonial garb of mortarboards and robes.

This year was the first time since 2019 that HSE University-St Petersburg held the event in its traditional in-person format. Invitations were also sent to graduates of the last two years, whose graduation ceremonies were held in other formats due to the pandemic-related restrictions in place at the time.

Ostap Ivanov, Graduate of the Master’s in International Business

Being a graduate of HSE University is a prestigious status for any young person planning to develop their career. In that respect, I consider HSE University to be a university that achieves its goals. I changed universities when applying for a master’s, so I can compare, and I can say that HSE University is in a league of its own in every way. The experience I gained here is the best there is, so it is difficult for me to highlight one specific moment from my studies. I already have plans for the future, and they are relevant to the programme I graduated from. I am interested in international business, and I want to be involved with it and develop in this field. I’m raring to go!

Valeria Pivovarova, Graduate of the Bachelor’s in Political Science and World Politics

I will have amazing memories of this wonderful celebration and the opportunity to be with family in the Sibur Arena!

My main impressions of HSE University are of the people: students, teachers, the programme office. During my first year, I fell behind with my studies a little due to illness, and my classmates gave me a lot of support. Now I know that I can rely on these people outside university as well.

Alina Petrova, Graduate of the Bachelor’s in Design

I really liked my programme and the whole study process, and I have been working in my profession for two years already. I am very satisfied that I graduated from this university. Friends of mine have studied at other universities, and they didn’t have graduation ceremonies like this. My mood is fantastic, and I hope that today will end even better than it started!

Vladislav Shibanov, Graduate of the Master’s in Urban Development and Governance

I’m from the small town of Kirovo-Chepetsk, and HSE University and St Petersburg have given me a lot of opportunities. Our first meeting, trips with friends, classes together, lectures… All of these routine moments now seem so vivid! As a 2020 graduate of the Bachelor’s in Political Science and World Politics, we didn’t have a proper graduation ceremony due to the pandemic, and now it has finally happened. The emotions today are unreal!

Baira Zhamsoeva, Graduate of the Bachelor’s in Asian and African Studies

Everything was so cool and everyone looked so good! I never get nervous, but now, with everything starting, the ceremony, getting up on stage for my red diploma, the concert… It’s overwhelming, but everything is so cool!

Dari Batozhargalova, Graduate of the Bachelor’s in Sociology and Social Informatics

Everything went very well, and it is especially nice that this year, we all got to graduate together in such a big hall and listen to farewell speeches from teachers and the campus administration. I love HSE University and I’m grateful to it for everything!