Celebration of the Doctoral Graduation Ceremony (16-04-2026)

On April 16, 2026, the Auditorium of the Vèrtex building (North Campus) hosted the graduation ceremony for the doctoral programs of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), a formal academic event organized by the Doctoral School, which could also be followed live via its YouTube channel. The event brought together the university community, family members, and friends to celebrate the culmination of the most demanding and significant stage in the academic journey of the graduates.

In this second edition of the ceremony, 356 new PhD graduates completed their studies, coming from 45 doctoral programs and all UPC centers, of whom 97 attended the ceremony in person. These figures reflect both the scale and diversity of the university’s doctoral community, as well as its strong international and interdisciplinary character.

The ceremony was led by the Director of the Doctoral School, Dr. Cristina Canal Barnils, and featured the participation of institutional representatives such as the Vice-Rector for Research, Dr. Pedro Díez, as well as Professor Dr. Sergi Abadal Cavallé, who delivered the speech entitled “Go out and enjoy,” addressed to the new PhD graduates at a key moment of transition toward new professional and personal stages.

The event began with the traditional entrance procession of the graduates and the academic procession, accompanied by a musical performance by the Architecture Choir, which added solemnity and symbolism to the opening of the ceremony. This was followed by various institutional and academic speeches highlighting the effort, dedication, and resilience required to achieve a doctoral degree.

One of the highlights was the speech by Dr. Milica Zivanic, who emphasized the importance of recent graduates maintaining their link with the university throughout their professional and personal lives. For this reason, she invited them to join the UPC Alumni Community by accessing the UPC Alumni Més platform.

Following this, she presented the Viu la UPC Awards, granted by UPC Alumni to recognize students who stand out for their commitment, involvement, and contribution to university life during their time at the University. The award went to Dr. Amanda Rivera Vidal (PhD program in Architecture, Building Construction, and Urbanism Technology) and Dr. Patricia López Gómez (PhD program in Biomedical Engineering).

The central moment of the ceremony was the conferral of degrees upon the new PhD graduates, who were called individually to the stage. During this academic ritual, each graduate read the doctoral oath, received the placement of the laurel cap from the Rector, Dr. Francesc Torres, and the insignia of the Doctoral School, in an act rich in symbolism representing the attainment of the highest academic degree and full incorporation into the scientific community.

On behalf of the graduating class, recent graduate Dr. Benet Eiximeno Franch addressed the audience, highlighting the value of the journey undertaken, marked by sustained effort, uncertainty, and the determination to generate new knowledge. His speech reflected the shared experience of many doctoral candidates, as well as their commitment to research and society.

In the closing speech, the Rector, Dr. Francesc Torres, emphasized that UPC’s doctoral community constitutes a vibrant and dynamic environment, with thousands of doctoral candidates and scientific output of international impact. He noted that a PhD is a demanding process that often involves facing challenges and uncertainties, but that it is precisely through this perseverance that scientific excellence is built. He also highlighted the global dimension of the research carried out, with high participation in international stays and collaborations with institutions around the world, as well as the strong connection with the industrial sector, one of UPC’s distinctive features.

The Rector also stressed that the new PhD graduates are called to play a key role in addressing major contemporary challenges such as climate change, the energy transition, ethics in technology, and the construction of a more sustainable and humane industry. In this regard, he encouraged them to maintain curiosity, scientific rigor, and social commitment, and reminded them that UPC will always remain their point of reference.

The ceremony concluded with the screening of a video listing all graduates, including those who could not attend in person, while the Architecture Choir performed Variations on “The Trout” by Schubert. This was followed by the university anthem Gaudeamus igitur, performed with the audience standing, in a final moment of great symbolic and emotional significance.

After the formal closing, a group photograph was taken with the academic procession and the graduates, and the celebration continued with a toast in the hall of the Vèrtex building, bringing to an end a day that recognized not only the academic achievement attained, but also the commitment to the generation and transfer of knowledge in service of society.