Closing Ceremony of the Victoria Amelina Promotion 2025/2026
On Friday, June 19th, 2026, we gathered in the Bruges Stadsschouwburg to celebrate the Closing Ceremony of the Victoria Amelina Promotion, marking the end of yet another extraordinary academic year at the College of Europe.
The ceremony brought together students, staff, professors, alumni, and guests to celebrate the achievements of this year’s Promotion and to bid farewell to a graduating class that has left a lasting mark on the College of Europe community.
Mr Dirk DE FAUW, Mayor of the City of Bruges, Mr Carl DECALUWÉ, Governor of the Province of West-Flanders, Ms Teona LAVRELASHVILI, President of the College of Europe Alumni Association, and Acting Rector Ewa OSNIECKA-TAMECKA took the stage to address the students and wish them every success in the years ahead.
The Student Representatives, Elie BRETON DES LOŸS, Alice DESMET, Claudia OCHOA TEJADA, and Leonhard PEYERL, also delivered farewell speeches. They congratulated the entire Promotion for this memorable academic year.
We also had the honour of welcoming Ms Bogdana KUDRIAVTSEVA, who has served as an official for the Ukrainian government for more than thirty years. Joined on stage by her daughter, our student Lina HERASYMCHUK, Ms Kudriavtseva delivered an open letter to the students, reflecting on the tragedy and the daily reality faced by Ukraine as a result of Russia’s war of aggression against the country. "Dear graduates, we are so incredibly proud of you because this degree is not just about academic knowledge; it is about the strength of your character, the resilience to never give up, and the faith in yourselves and the people around you." She honoured the courage of the Ukrainian people, who continue to stand firm in defence of their country and their freedom. Her address underscored the human cost of war and the values of resilience, courage, and solidarity that continue to inspire Europe.
During the ceremony, the students entertained the audience with several musical performances, while the Bruges Choir of the Victoria Amelina Promotion took the stage for the last time, singing the European Anthem – the Ode to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Several prizes were finally awarded by the College’s Directors of Studies to the top-performing students in each department, as well as to those who authored the best master's theses.
To all our graduates: as you prepare for the road ahead, may you carry with you not only the knowledge you have gained here, but also the courage to question, the openness to listen, and the determination to build bridges in a world that needs them more than ever. The future of Europe will be shaped by the choices you make from here, and we could not be prouder to have witnessed where that path began.
Congratulations, Victoria Amelina Promotion 2025-2026. Wherever life may take you, you will always belong here in Bruges!
Photos of the Event
