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Spring Graduation sees over 2,400 students from 47 countries graduate virtually

Graduates attended remotely from around the globe, and a number have shared their remarkable personal stories in a series of blogs and videos.

Graduate Janet Omondi

This week, 2481 students graduated virtually around the world, with online ceremonies streaming live via YouTube due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of seven ceremonies took place over three days, from Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 April.

Graduating students were addressed and congratulated by Professor David Latchman CBE, Vice-Chancellor; Baroness Joan Bakewell, President; Professor Joanna Bourke, College Orator; academic staff; alumni; and two new Fellows of the College: Costas Douzinas and Liz Meek CBE.

Professor David Latchman, Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck, said: “It was humbling to be a part of the graduation ceremonies this week, seeing our graduating students in the virtual world and celebrating their astounding achievements in what has been a challenging year for all of us. I wish all our graduates every success and look forward to hearing about their future endeavours. 

“We encourage all graduates to maintain their links with the College by becoming an active member of our alumni community. Last December, Birkbeck launched #OurBirkbeck, an initiative to celebrate and showcase the impact that members of our community are having. We’ve had an incredible response, with alumni from all over the world contacting us with their stories. Graduates, please visit the #OurBirkbeck website to learn more about how you can get involved.”

This week has seen a number of this year’s graduates share their personal stories in a series of blogs and videos. Carolyn Stillman shared her story about travelling from the USA to complete a degree in MA Language Teaching/ Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL); using her time to travel and throw herself into a different way of life. Janet Omondi studied for a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, aiding her career change from working in the National Probation Service to lecturing at a university. Janet also shared her experiences of online learning in a video. Azucena Garcia Gutierrez, MA Applied Linguistics and Communication graduate and Chevening scholar, told her story of leaving Mexico to study at Birkbeck and her desire to contribute to the education and social landscape in Mexico to improve the country’s academic and economic standing.

Follow Birkbeck on social media, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, for the latest updates on graduates’ stories as they are released.

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