On 7 July, the Faculty of Law at UIC Barcelona held the closing ceremony for its 2025-2026 postgraduate programmes in the University’s Saló de Graus. The event amassed students from the various postgraduate programmes to mark the end of the academic year and recognise their hard work and commitment throughout this period of specialised study.

The event was presided over by the Faculty vice-dean, Dr Maria Mut, and also featured the directors of the various programmes: Dr Alejandra Vargas, from the Postgraduate Degree in Compliance and Cybersecurity; Alejandro Heredia, partner at Russell Bedford and director of the Postgraduate Degree in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions; and Jaume Duch, a lawyer at Cuatrecasas and director of the Master’s Degree in Taxation Law: Planning and Guidance and the Postgraduate Degree in Tax Consultancy. All three underscored the value of specialised legal education that is closely linked to professional practice and grounded in a commitment to lifelong learning.

The keynote address was delivered by Paula Fernández-Ochoa, a renowned consultant specialising in personal branding, branding and business development and who was recently listed by Forbes as one of Spain’s 50 most influential women. During her speech, she encouraged the graduates to embrace the notion that “the greatest project you will ever lead is your own life” and urged them to continue learning, develop their talents and use them to help others. “We aspire to lead extraordinary lives, yet all too often we continue to make ordinary decisions,” she argued, championing a model of leadership grounded in courage, purpose and the ability to create a positive impact.

With regards to the honour recently bestowed on her by Forbes, Fernández-Ochoa explained that she accepts the distinction “with gratitude, but also with a sense of responsibility”, as she understands influence as “the ability to have a positive impact on others, open doors, share knowledge and contribute through what each of us does best.” It is a message, she added, that she seeks to convey both to her students and to the professionals with whom she collaborates.