Today, Vilnius University (VU) Law Faculty‘s graduates were awarded their Master’s diplomas at St. John’s Church. On this special occasion, there was a lot of joy in the achievements of the students, greetings, smiles, and laughter. It was an exceptional day for the Law Faculty, as for the first time, the diplomas were also awarded to the graduates of the programme of integrated sessional studies in law.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the Dean of the Law Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr Haroldas Šinkūnas, welcomed the participants. The first greeting speech was delivered by the Rector of Vilnius University, Prof. Dr Rimvydas Petrauskas, who said that this celebration marks a long and hard work: “This is first and foremost your personal achievement”.
The President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, Assoc. Prof. Dr Danguolė Bublienė also came to congratulate the graduates and reminded them of the importance of law. “Not only is your personal and professional growth in your hands, but also your responsibility for the prosperity of the whole state,” she said, and wished the students to rejoice, celebrate, and share their future plans.
The Vice-Rector of the University of Szczecin, Prof. Dr Kinga Flaga-Gieruszynska, and the President of the VU Law Faculty Alumni fellowship , Gintautas Bartkus, also attended the celebration and greeted the guests. He wished the alumni to keep in touch with each other, to discuss, to remember their values in the uncertain future and invited them to become members of the Alumni. On behalf of the students of the Faculty, graduate Nedas Tamašauskas said a word of greeting. He thanked his parents, teachers, the Faculty and its partners. “I wish to remember that we are always responsible for our own happiness”, said N. Tamašauskas.
Traditionally, during the celebration, awards were presented for the best final essays of the academic year. This year, six institutions and law firms awarded prizes.
After the awards, Dean H. Šinkūnas gave a congratulatory speech. He thanked the lecturers, staff, faculty partners, alumni, and graduates. “I look at you and I see how you have become stronger, how you have become braver, how you have grown. I have always said that your success is our success, that when you succeed, we succeed, that when you grow, our whole community grows. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart: thanks to you, our community has become even brighter and, I have no doubt, stronger”, said the Dean.
The last part of the ceremony was the presentation of diplomas to the graduates. 180 Master’s diplomas were awarded, among them – 3 Magna Cum Laude and 7 Cum Laude.
The event featured musical works such as “Air on the G string” (J.S. Bach) and “Rejoicing” by (G.F. Handel). We sincerely congratulate the graduates of the Faculty of Law and wish them to share and successfully apply their knowledge.
Photographer – Edgaras Kurauskas.
