On 25 June, the Aula Magna at UIC Barcelona hosted the graduation ceremony for the Bachelor’s Degree in Bioengineering’s sixth graduating class, an event presided over by the director of the Department of Bioengineering, Dr Begoña Bosch, and which brought together students, family members, teaching staff and members of the university community to celebrate the conclusion of a new academic stage.

The ceremony began with remarks from the deputy director of the Department of Bioengineering, Dr Miguel Ángel Mateos, who encouraged the graduates to approach the next stage of their professional lives with enthusiasm: "Now is the time to step outside your comfort zones."

The floor was then handed to Dr Jesús María Izco, director of Diversification at Viscofan, the graduating class’s guest of honour. Holder of a PhD in Pharmacy, Dr Izco has built a career that combines research, biotechnology entrepreneurship and industry. He has worked in areas such as food technology, nanomedicine and the development of biomaterials for medical applications.

In his keynote lecture, Dr Jesús María Izco shared some of the lessons that have shaped his career, from his early years in research to his experience in biotechnology entrepreneurship and industry. Reflecting on this journey, he reminded the new graduates that professional development rarely follows a linear path and that every experience offers valuable learning opportunities. "The myth of the straight line does not exist. Life is full of mistakes, unexpected turns and setbacks, and each of them represents a learning opportunity,” he explained.

The guest of honour urged the future bioengineers to confidently embrace the challenges of an ever-evolving field, where the ability to adapt, unlearn and solve problems is just as important as the knowledge they have acquired. In this regard, he emphasised that innovation requires stepping outside one’s comfort zone and learning from mistakes in order to keep moving forward.

He also highlighted the importance of leadership and teamwork as essential elements in developing solutions that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. “One person may get there faster, but not as far as a team,” he argued, while stressing the importance of nurturing talent, learning from mistakes without penalising them and surrounding oneself with people who encourage professional growth. “What makes the difference is not who gets it right most often, but who gives up the least,” he asserted. Dr Izco concluded his address by urging the graduates to chart their own course by answering three questions: what do they want to work on, who do they want to grow with and what do they want to believe in.

Afterwards came the presentation of diplomas and sashes to the graduating class, followed by recognition of the students with the best academic records: Ariadna Berruezo, Laura Berruezo and Alejandro Collín.

The ceremony continued with speeches by the class representatives, Iria Massaguer and Miguel Arana, who reflected on the experiences and lessons they have shared over the past four years and thanked their families and the teaching staff for their support.

The closing remarks came courtesy of Dr Begoña Bosch, who encourage the graduates to always place the person at the centre of their work. Inspired by the words of Pope Leo XIV during his recent visit to Barcelona, she reminded the graduates that a bioengineer’s greatest value lies not in the technology they use, but in their ability to act with sound judgement, responsibility and humanity. “Don’t let an algorithm replace your capacity to love; dare to be the engineers of a more humane world,” she stated.

The Director also highlighted the importance of ethics as one of the profession’s cross-cutting competencies and thanked the students for their commitment and the reflections shared throughout their studies.

The ceremony concluded with the singing of the traditional Gaudeamus Igitur and the incorporation of the new graduates into the UIC Barcelona Alumni community, a network that will continue to support them as they grow as people and professionals.