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Welcome 2021 graduates
29 November 2021
Thousands of UCL students had their degrees officially conferred at virtual ceremonies during the summer and autumn.
July, September and October at UCL saw 2021’s virtual graduation ceremonies take place, officially welcoming over 20,000 new graduates into UCL’s global alumni community. In total, there were 45 ceremonies over the summer and autumn, providing an opportunity for students to come together with family and friends to celebrate their talent, hard work, passion and creativity.
Congratulatory messages
In tribute to the remarkable achievements of 2021’s graduates who completed their studies in such challenging circumstances, each graduation ceremony featured congratulatory video messages from UCL President & Provost Dr Michael Spence and the university’s Vice-Provosts.
Presided over by Faculty Deans, the graduation ceremonies also featured inspiring video messages from alumni who shared their congratulations, stories and advice with graduates in the faculties they once studied in.
“The resilience, adaptability and patience you’ve honed during this unique moment in time, alongside your world-class education from UCL, will serve you incredibly well in the years to come.” – Sophie Taitt, Director, Global Production Strategy & Operations at Netflix (Scandinavian Studies with Management, 2001)
“When you leave this great institution, you’ll have gained significant academic and life skills. Combine this with some confidence, a healthy appetite to take risks and you can only succeed.”- Mark Proctor CBE, AstraZeneca (Biochemical Engineering, 2002)
Watch alumni messages to 2021 graduates
Turning constraints into creativity
As we have seen from the UCL community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, constraints can create opportunities for innovation. This creative mindset continued at graduation, with graduates creating their own homemade mortarboards!
Paws for the camera
Many of our graduates were even joined at their graduation by their four-legged friends.
Some of whom got into the spirit of graduation as well!
Fully fledged UCL alumni
The new graduates join a truly global community of over 350,000 alumni living in more than 190 countries worldwide. James Davis, Director of Alumni Relations, offered his congratulations to UCL’s newest alumni:
“Many congratulations on graduating from UCL – this is a brilliant and significant achievement, and you should all feel very proud of yourselves.
“I am delighted to welcome you all to UCL’s global alumni community. You have joined a supportive and inclusive network of leaders and innovators. Make sure to make the most of it; wherever life takes you, UCL’s global community will be there to support and inspire you. I can’t wait to see what you all do next. Do stay in touch!”
From discounts and travel deals to careers guidance and networking opportunities, there is so much to explore as a UCL graduate. Find out more about the alumni services and benefits available to you, connect with fellow graduates through UCL Bentham Connect and join the Recent Graduates Network to build your career.
All students who were eligible to attend a virtual graduation ceremony in both 2020 and 2021 will be invited to an in-person celebration. We very much look forward to further celebrating the achievements of our graduates at these in-person ceremonies in March 2022.
