After a short opening speech by the President of the Institute, Ramona Coman, the 108 graduates of the Master in European Studies, the Specialised Master in European Law and the Specialised Master in EU Interdisciplinary Studies were proclaimed in an idyllic setting, on the Grand Place of Brussels. Even the rain stopped for the occasion, engraving in our minds this unique moment.
The IEE-ULB graduates chose to name their class after Ebru Timtik, to honour the Turkish lawyer who fought for the respect of fundamental rights in her home country, and died in August 2020 in a Turkish prison after a long hunger strike.
Vice-Rector Anne Weyembergh presided over the academic procession. The academic body of the IEE-ULB was represented by its President, Ramona Coman, its Vice-President, Emmanuelle Bribosia, its Director, Nicolas Verschueren and professors Chloé Brière, Amandine Crespy, Dirk Jacobs, Martin Martinez Navarro and Denis Waelbroeck.
Speech by IEE Director, Professor Nicolas Verschueren
Prof. Nicolas Verschueren gifted us with a nice metaphor comparing the venue of the ceremony, the Grand Place, to “a real Zinneke Place”.
“A bit like the European Union and especially like you. You have come to the Institute for European Studies from different geographical and cultural backgrounds with different disciplinary backgrounds to understand how the EU works and we are delighted that you have chosen the IEE.”
Read the full speech here:
Speech by Sérgio Rosa De Jesus Abelha, graduate of the Specialised Master in EU Interdisciplinary Studies
Then, Sérgio Rosa De Jesus Abelha, graduate of the Specialised Master in EU Interdisciplinary Studies, invited, in a committed speech, to honour the memory of Ebru Timtik and not to take our fundamental rights and freedoms as guaranteed.
“Let us not take for granted the principles and values that characterise the European project. These principles and values, which we want to be the foundation and guide of our society, must be preserved, maintained and made sustainable for the future: freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect of human rights. These are our values! And the only way not to take them as guarantees is to evoke them – unequivocally – assume them, practice them.”
Read the full speech here:
Post-proclamation drink
Finally, the proclaimed members, their guests as well as members of the Institute’s staff and academic body were able to meet for a drink at the Wolf Food Market, not far from the ceremony venue. This drink was an opportunity for them to celebrate and to meet in a convivial atmosphere after an academic year marked by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
Finally, we would like to extend our warmest congratulations to our 58th European Studies class of 2020-2021.
To all of you, bon voyage and good luck!
And we hope to see you soon, dear new IEE Alumni!
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Photos © Aurore Delsoir
