First cohort of students to graduate in-person under the name of Bayes Business School

Around 280 students from Bayes Business School returned one year after officially finishing their degrees to celebrate their in-person graduations at The Barbican Centre in London.

The class of 2020 had their original ceremonies delayed due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and had previously marked the occasion at online graduation celebrations.

Swapping Zoom parties at home for in-person celebrations, graduates from Bayes reunited with course mates, lecturers, families and friends as they reflected on the end of their undergraduate journeys.

To ensure the ceremonies were carried out safely, the auditorium operated at a reduced capacity, attendees were encouraged to wear face coverings and graduates doffed their caps instead of shaking hands.

The ceremony also invited Professor Anthony Finkelstein to celebrate with students at his first in-person graduation event as City’s President.

“My most important suggestion for your practice is to learn something new every day. More accurately what I am asking you to do is to take a moment from the day and call to mind one new thing you have learnt that day. Think about it and give it a mental tick.

As you graduate from City, know how proud we are of you. We aim to make you ever more proud of us. We look forward to a lasting relationship and to your future engagement.”

Professor Anthony Finkelstein

Professor Caroline Wiertz, Deputy Dean of Bayes, also addressed the Class of 2020.

In her speech, Professor Wiertz said: “Graduation is always an outstanding achievement. But the unique circumstances in which you finished your degrees in the spring of last year make it especially commendable.

"Now more than ever, the world needs people who care, people who are unafraid to learn, people who take control of the things they can control, and people who take action with integrity.

"You are these people. As future business leaders, you have a responsibility to do what you can to influence and shape the world around you. Every single one of you has the opportunity to make a difference. Grab that opportunity with both hands and make the most of it.”

Selected as the student speaker for Bayes was Pei Yi Ellie Goh (BSc Banking and International Finance 2020).

“Just as Bayes’ Theorem suggests, we get closer to the truth by constantly updating our beliefs in proportion to the weight of new evidence.

Every step you take, every triumph, every fallback, adds a new piece onto the jigsaw puzzle called our future. Sometimes you feel lost – you feel that you’ve messed up. Several days passed and you’re convinced that the puzzle is impossible to complete. Suddenly, you stumbled onto a piece that had fallen to the ground – it was the missing piece to complete your enigma.

Sometimes all you need is to fearlessly wander in the woods and put things in perspective. No step is ever wasted, just like any setback. And who knows, you might just become the very best version of yourself in the process!”

Bayes student speaker, Pei Yi Ellie Goh (BSc Banking and International Finance 2020).

You can see all of the graduation action on Bayes’ official social media channels. The hashtag is #CityGrad and you can still share your pictures and memories of graduation on social media.