MIREES - Master of Arts in
Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe

MIREES Class of 2011 – Graduation Ceremony

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On September 30th the students of the 7th generation of the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe (MIREES) - the 2nd graduating class since MIREES became a "Laurea Magistrale" - were honoured to receive their Master's Degrees. Similar to previous generations, the class of 2009–2011 had twenty two students coming from eleven different countries including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Finland, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey and the USA.

The official ceremony, held in the beautiful setting of the Forlì City Hall, was an occasion for all the students and professors involved in the program to gather together. It also provided a priceless occasion for students to celebrate and share their satisfaction in completing this intense program. Finally, this was also an occasion to welcome prospective students and wish them equal satisfaction with the academic experience awaiting them.

The ceremony was preceded by two days during which students defended their theses in front of five different commissions composed of professors who followed a surprisingly interesting number of research projects. It was a truly inspiring and challenging moment for both students and professors, who gathered at the end of two intensive academic years.

Along with the professors who participated in the thesis defence sessions, the ceremony was attended by representatives of the partner universities. University of Bologna was represented by Carla Salvaterra, pro-Rector in charge of International Relations, while Félix San Vicente Santiago, President of the Forlì Campus and Paolo Zurla, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science attended on behalf of the Forlì Campus. Local authorities also noted their appreciation for the added value of this joint degree. For the occasion, Konstantin Khudoley, pro-Rector of St. Petersburg University, gave the Lectio Magistralis on the topic "European integration and Russia: new challenges and prospective opportunities". Particularly inspiring for students was the speech delivered by professor Ineta Dabašinskiene, representative of Vytautas Magnus University of Kaunas, who encouraging the students - as potential, future leaders of the new generation - to preserve their hunger for knowledge and engage their energy and passion in initiating positive changes for our common future.

During the ceremony, students from previous generations presented their proposal for the creation of the MIREES Alumni Association. This remarkable initiative strengthens MIREES' commitment to creating an international network of academics. It also provides the opportunity to exchange expertise among recent graduates and those who have already started their professional careers.

In conclusion, twenty students received their Joint degrees from the director of the program, professor Stefano Bianchini.The overall outstanding performances, confirming students' commitment and growth, were met with great satisfaction. In light of these brilliant results, this ceremony was also an occasion to praise this valuable program, which in just two years created a network of researchers and friends who will spread their specific knowledge acquired during the MIREES MA program.

Marzia Bona,
MIREES students' representative