The Graduation Ceremony officially commenced with the traditional performance of "Gaudeamus" by the SSE Riga choir. Following this, Rector Anders Paalzow and Professor Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics, delivered speeches and congratulated the graduates.

One of the highlights was the presentation of the Best Thesis Award by Associate Professor Zane Vārpiņa. The award went to Polina Karaseva and Ilze Katrīna Lumpova for their outstanding thesis titled "Removing China from the EU's Equation: The Replacement of Imports during Covid-19," supervised by Konstantins Beņkovskis.

The Class of 2024 farewell speech was entrusted to two graduates, Nora Ķigure and Markuss Baltais. They shared their heartfelt reflections on their academic journey, fun memories, and the friendships formed during their time at SSE Riga. Their speech encapsulated the essence of the SSE Riga community and the slogan of the Student Association "Study Hard, Party Hard".

Furthermore, Kristaps Siliņš, head of the McCann Riga advertising agency and an alumnus of the Class of 2012, welcomed the new graduates into the SSE Riga alumni community.

Despite the rainy weather, the spirit of celebration remained undamped, with a symbolic group photo later in the day at the School's courtyard and the Last Lecture at Soros Auditorium.

We would like to steal a wish from one of the graduation speeches and wish all graduates: "Live well!"

Link to the Facebook photos