The Main Hall of the Central Building hosted the Graduation Ceremony for the students who completed any of the master’s degree programmes offered by the School of Economics in the 2016-2017 academic year: Master’s Degree in Banking and Financial Regulation (MBRF), Master’s Degree in Economics and Finance (MEF) and Master’s Degree in Managing People in Organizations (MDPO).

The delegates from each course thanked the School’s professors and Administrative and Service Personnel (PAS) for the support that they had received during this academic year, as well as the opportunities that they had been given by the master’s degree programmes, such as the week in Frankfurt and London as part of the MBRF, the workshops and conferences organized by the MEF, and the IESE Programme as part of the MDPO.

Representing the MBRF, José Manuel Vásquez reminded his fellow graduates that “the destination is not the most important thing, but rather what you have learned along the way”. Nicholas Jaeger, the delegate for the MEF, encouraged the students to build up their own self-confidence and find a job that really makes them happy. Mateo Echeverría, the MDPO delegate, stressed how valuable it is to understand how complex people are and stressed the importance of “putting people before numbers”.

Ignacio Ferrero, the Dean of the School, shared some thoughts from John Paul II with the new graduates about this recently completed part of their journey: “Let us remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence”. Ferrero encouraged them to be appreciative, to approach their work as a way to provide a service, and to continue learning during this new stage in their professional career. He also advised them to take a kindly view of the world and to view professional success as part of their own personal development.

This ceremony brought the courses for the master’s degree programmes at the School to a close. Over the coming months, most of the students will participate in internships and take up their new professional positions at organizations in the banking, auditing and auto industries, such as the European Central Bank, PWC, EY, Accenture, McDonald’s, Inditex and SEAT. Others will continue with research to prepare their doctoral dissertations in the field of Economics. It should be noted that 100% of the graduating students have found a job or a position in academia.