The University of Wales hosts an annual Graduation Celebration in Cardiff to mark the achievements of students graduating with validated awards. In 2010, more than a 1,500 guests from seventeen different countries – from as far away as China and Japan to as close as England and Scotland – congregated at Cardiff City Hall in Cardiff.
Since its inception in 1998, this colourful event has continued to grow in size as graduates and their family and friends from all over the globe gather in Cardiff to celebrate together. As part of this event, Ede and Ravenscroft - the University’s official robe makers - are on hand to ensure all graduates are attired in the appropriate academic dress for their formal presentation. Officers from the University of Wales also take part to offer their congratulations during the formal proceedings.
In his speech last year, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales, Professor Marc Clement, said:
"The University of Wales was created through the will, and the hard work, of ordinary Welsh people, to provide young Welsh men and women with the chance to gain a higher education close to home. The University today is proud to be maintaining this tradition of providing local educational opportunities to students, but now on a global scale, through its validation work, and it is very gratifying to see our new graduates – this year from colleges in more than a dozen countries – celebrating together here in Cardiff."
During the 2010 celebration, the University of Wales was delighted to be awarding honorary degrees to Dr Lyn Evans, the eminent Welsh Scientist, and manager of the ambitious Hadron Collider project and David Griffiths, the acclaimed Royal Portrait Painter.
In 2009, for the first time, the event was live-streamed via the University’s website, enabling those family members unable to participate in the celebrations to watch their relatives graduate.
The tickets for this event are free and all graduates of validated programmes are invited to join in this annual Celebration. The next event is to be held in Spring 2011 at Cardiff City Hall.
