IE University graduation ceremony for 394 students from 48 countries

A graduation ceremony for 394 students was held by IE University today at its Santa Cruz la Real campus in Segovia, Spain. Some 54% (211) were men and 46% (183) were women, and they hailed from a total of 48 countries around the world. Two hundred and seven of the students were from IE University’s Bachelor in Business Administration, 20 were from the Bachelor in Architectural Studies, 21 from the Bachelor in Communication, 26 from the Bachelor of Laws, 15 from the Bachelor in Psychology, 44 from the Bachelor in International Relations, 52 from the Dual Degree in Business Administration and Laws, and 9 from the Dual Degree in Business Administration and International Relations.

One of the most interesting figures pertaining to the class of 2018 was that they did 279 study exchanges between them, which means that 65% (reaching 80% in some programs) of graduands had spent at least one period on exchange at another university with which IE University has a partnership agreement. During the ceremony, it was noted that there had been study exchanges with universities in every world continent.

Mikel Tapia, President of the Technical Advisory Board of the Ibex 35, served as patron of the class of 2018 in the morning session, in which IE University law graduand, Calum Hedigan gave the farewell speech on behalf of all the students in his year. In the afternoon session of the ceremony, Hamid Tawfiki, President of the Casablanca Stock Exchange and CEO of CDG Capital, served as the class patron, while business administration graduand Shamir Ali Sahir gave the student farewell speech.

During his address, IE University Rector Salvador Carmona announced that IE University would be expanding its academic program portfolio in the new academic year with two new bachelor programs – the Bachelor in Data and Business Analytics, and the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences. He also announced that in order to provide students with a better learning experience and better services, work has begun on a new building known as the Fifth Tower, located in Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana, that will house a 180 meter-high vertical center for IE University as from 2020.

In his address to the graduands, the Rector listed the international awards and distinctions received by IE University schools. IE Business School programs are among the most recognized in the world by international agencies like AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The Bachelor of Laws has recently been accredited by the Bar Council of India, opening up a huge market to IE law graduates. Carmona added that the European Journal of Private Law, funded by the European Commission, considers IE University Bachelor of Laws to be one of the most innovative in Europe. He went on to say that IE University’s innovative architecture program is beginning to attract international recognition, and now holds the No. 10 position worldwide in the ranking drawn up by Youth Incorporated magazine. He also mentioned that the School of International Relations had become a member of the prestigious Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, and is now in the process of launching a new Master program in collaboration with the United Nations. He then pointed out that the Master in Business Analytics and Big Data, run by IE’s School of Human Sciences and Technology, holds the No. 10 position in the QS World University ranking, while the Master in Cyber Security is the first master program in Europe to meet the requirements of the International Information System Security Certification Consortium.

Carmona also underscored the fact that the excellent results obtained by students are in part driven by an innovative philosophy that can be summed up in five points - an international approach, technological innovation, an entrepreneurial mindset, a focus on humanities and ethical values, and a combination of academic rigor and direct exposure to business realities.

The ceremony also included awards for the students of the class of 2018 with the best end of degree projects, and the presentation of degree titles to the almost four hundred new graduates.