Last Friday, November 10th, INCAE Business School had the honor of celebrating the graduation ceremony of seven of its outstanding MBA and Executive Masters programs. The emotional ceremony brought together graduates, family and friends in an event full of joy and academic achievement, at the Walter Kissling Gam campus in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
On this special occasion, a total of 152 students crossed the threshold into the next chapter of their academic and professional lives.
Of these graduates, 38% are women, reflecting the diversity and inclusiveness that characterizes INCAE. We proudly celebrate the formation of this talented group of professionals from 15 different nationalities, demonstrating the global reach of our institution.
Of this group, 72 students were also awarded different scholarships that allowed them to be part of this select group of graduates and fulfill their goals.
Enrique Bolaños Abaunza, Rector of INCAE, offered emotional words of welcome, highlighting the institution's continued commitment to digital transformation. Despite the challenges, he underscored the vision for the future and resilience, even after the closure of the campus in Nicaragua. Looking ahead, he enthusiastically announced that next year will mark the 60th anniversary of INCAE.
"I want to tell you that they have closed our campus, our buildings, but they have not clipped our wings, they have not extinguished our dreams and our purpose is more alive than ever. The soul of our institution lives in each one of you, our students, graduates, professors, collaborators, donors and so many friends who have supported us in the almost 60 years of history of INCAE in the region. In all these years we have overcome countless challenges, and we will overcome this last one, because it is our mission that drives us forward and strengthens us in spite of adversity," he said.
The event also featured the inspiring words of the guest of honor, Dr. Roberto Artavia Loría, President of the Board of Trustees and former Rector of INCAE, who urged them: "With the privilege of education you simultaneously acquire a great responsibility that I hope you will recognize and celebrate intensely today, for society counts on each and every one of you to be leaders in the necessary changes towards the future. Exercise that responsibility with an enormous sense of integrity and personal and professional ethics, with a deep sense of solidarity in the face of the inequalities and injustices that still prevail, with an undying commitment to sustainability and democracy, and with the conviction that each of you is prepared to make a difference in those areas and industries in which you choose to work."
The ceremony also featured speeches by Salutatorians Gabriela Nicole López Quimí and Luis Diego Barrantes Ardón, and Valedictorian Jaime de Jesús Retana Solórzano, who shared their reflections on their educational journey and shared experiences.
The ceremony included the taking of the oath of master's degree graduates, an ethical commitment by the graduates to integrity and responsibility in their future professional careers, by the president of the Oath Club. In addition, well-deserved awards were presented to the dedicated professors of each program.
The celebrations included the participation of the graduates of the MAE V class, which commemorated its 50th anniversary in 1973 with 50 graduates, three of whom participated in the ceremony; and of the MAE XV class, which celebrated 40 years of its passage through the institution, with 79 graduates, six of whom were present. They are part of the generations of INCAE that have contributed in good measure to generate and consolidate the prestige of the institute, they, in a very exciting moment, repeated their graduation parade and received the certificates corresponding to their anniversaries.
In another emotional moment, Dean Bernard Kilian presented the awards to the dedicated professors of each program, highlighting their invaluable contribution to the academic success of the students.
The culmination of the ceremony was the presentation of degrees and distinctions by Deans Camelia Ilie and Michele Quintano, thus closing this academic chapter and opening the doors to new opportunities for the graduates of INCAE Business School.
Proudly celebrating these achievements, INCAE Business School eagerly anticipates its next milestone: next year, the institution will celebrate 60 years of academic excellence, consolidating its position as one of the leading business schools in Latin America.
