On Wednesday 28 January, UIC Barcelona’s Aula Magna hosted the graduation ceremony for the University’s newly minted doctors, a solemn event organised by the Doctoral School as part of the celebration of the Feast Day of St Thomas Aquinas.

In 2025, a total of 44 doctoral theses were defended at UIC Barcelona. During the ceremony, doctoral degrees were conferred upon 19 new doctors, who received their caps as a symbol of having successfully completed their academic and research journey.

The event began with words of welcome from the director of the Doctoral School, Dr Núria Casals Farré, who emphasised that “this moment marks the conclusion of one academic stage, but also the beginning of a future linked to research,” and encouraged the new PhD holders to always carry with them the values of the University. She also thanked them for their dedication and perseverance throughout their doctoral studies and congratulated the graduates on the start of a new professional chapter.

Next, the ceremony’s patron, Xavier Escribano, doctor of Philosophy and lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities at UIC Barcelona, shared a few words with the new doctors, highlighting that “we are all bearers of the enigma of consciousness, reminding one another how fascinating this world really is.”

One of the ceremony’s most moving moments came during the speech given by Ainhoa Fernández, recipient of a doctoral degree in Health Sciences. In her address, she shared a letter she had written to herself on the day she began her doctoral studies, an intimate and profound reflection that captured the doctoral experience from the early years of study to her thesis defence.

The ceremony concluded with a few words from the University’s rector, Dr Alfonso Méndiz, who stressed the importance of “bringing a fresh perspective capable of driving knowledge forward.” A journey he described as gruelling, marked by perseverance and rigour, yet at the same time “it has made you strong and endowed you with values such as humility and a love for truth and science.” The rector insisted that the doctoral programme not only shapes better researchers but also better people, committed to putting their scientific work at the service of others.

Through this ceremony, UIC Barcelona reasserts its commitment to research and doctoral education, while highlighting the role of PhD holders as key figures in knowledge creation and social contribution.