News

On 25 June, European Humanities University held a graduation ceremony for graduates of its Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes.

The ceremony brought together graduates, academic and administrative staff, families, friends, and invited guests to mark an important milestone in the academic journey of the EHU community and to celebrate the beginning of a new professional chapter for the University’s graduates.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by EHU Rector Dr. Vilius Šadauskas, Chancellor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania Aistė Stakėnienė, Chair of the EHU Senate Professor Jeffrey Taylor, and Chair of the EHU Student Union Yaroslava Melnyk.

In their addresses, the speakers congratulated the graduates on the successful completion of their studies and emphasised the importance of perseverance, intellectual curiosity, personal responsibility, and dedication to one’s chosen path. A key message of the ceremony was an encouragement to follow one’s aspirations, pursue work that is meaningful, and remain confident in the ability to achieve significant professional and personal goals.

Below is the full address delivered by EHU Rector Dr. Vilius Šadauskas during the graduation ceremony.

Dear graduates, dear students, dear colleagues, distinguished guests, dear friends of the European Humanities University,

Today is a day of celebration. And I think we all need this celebration.

Over the past year, we have experienced more uncertainty than any university community should have to face. There were moments when many of us did not know what tomorrow would bring. Some of you had to make very difficult personal decisions. Some worried about your families. Some wondered whether it would still be possible to continue your studies, your work, or simply your lives as you had imagined them.

To our graduates—I truly believe you are one of the strongest generations EHU has ever had. You completed your studies during a time when uncertainty became part of everyday life. Yet today you are here. You refused to let fear define your future.
That is why this diploma means much more than an academic qualification. It is a testament to your determination, your resilience, and your belief that education is worth every effort. You earned it under circumstances that few graduates ever have to face. Carry it with pride. It will open new doors, new opportunities, new careers, and new places where you will build your future. But perhaps most importantly, whenever life puts another difficult challenge in front of you, remember this moment. Remember that you have already overcome uncertainty, pressure, and doubt—and you came out stronger. No one can ever take that away from you – AND YOU ARE OUR HEROES

I also want to say a few words to those who remain at EHU. The coming academic year will not be an easy one. We will need to face some challenges. We will continue to change. We will have to make decisions that are not always easy or popular. But I also believe that the coming year can become the beginning of a new chapter for our University.

What must change is our ability to ensure that our mission remains sustainable for many years to come. We must become stronger as an institution—not for our own sake, but for the generations of students who will come after you.
I believe EHU can become an even stronger European university: rooted in its Belarusian identity and values, while opening itself wider to the region, to Europe, and to new ideas, partnerships, and opportunities. A university known not only because it survived difficult times, but because it found the courage and strength to grow through them.

Universities are not buildings.
They are not strategies.
They are not regulations.
A university is its people.

People who choose knowledge over ignorance. Dialogue over division. Responsibility over indifference. Hope over resignation.
That is why freedom matters so much.

Freedom is not only the freedom to speak.
It is the freedom to study.
To ask difficult questions.
To disagree respectfully.
To create.
To discover.
To imagine a better future and then to help build it.
This is why universities exist.
And this is why EHU exists.

Finally, I want to thank every member of our community.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your honesty even when it came in the form of criticism. Thank you for your trust, especially when trust was not easy.

I also want you to know one thing. As Rector, I can that I will continue looking for solutions and we will find them. As I will continue believing that education, dignity, and freedom are always stronger than fear.

Dear graduates,Congratulations. Today you close one important chapter of your lives. Tomorrow you begin another.Go forward with confidence.Go forward with courage. And wherever your journey leads you, make the world a little more more just, and a little more free. Thank you.

The solemn and celebratory atmosphere of the ceremony was complemented by a musical performance by singer and flutist Neda Malūnavičiūtė and jazz pianist Richardas Banys.

European Humanities University warmly congratulates its Bachelor’s and Master’s graduates and wishes them inspiration, confidence, and continued success in their future endeavours.